Picture Perfect
by LadySnowTheStark
Summary: A temperamental Paul Lahote imprints on one Serena Wilder, a girl in love with nature, photography, and the idea of love itself. [Paul/OC, minor Embry/OC and loads of Sam/Emily]
1. Chapter 1

I can't believe I am voluntarily writing a Twilight fic, but the heart wants what the heart wants! And these days, it wants a shirtless werewolf. Yummy. Enjoy!

* * *

"Just _one _more, Em, please!"

"Serena, you _know_ how I feel about cameras!"

"You're beautiful, stupid girl, shut up and let me work!"

Emily Uley rolled her eyes, but gave a quick smile to the enthusiastic girl opposite her. Serena Wilder was impossible to argue with. After knowing her for almost ten years, Emily knew she should be used to it, but she still wasn't. The girl was loud, constantly happy and had the most enchanting laugh she had ever heard.

"Done!" Serena clicked her camera one final time before removing it from her face and beaming. "These should keep me going until that husband of yours tells me the way to the cove you keep going on about."

"You really don't want to go there during bear season," warned Emily. She continued to flip pancakes on the stove as she used her free hand to rummage in the cupboard for syrup. "At least wait until one of the boys can take you."

Serena rolled her eyes. "What _is _it with you and those bodyguards? Don't get me wrong, I love being surrounded by six feet of shirtless muscle all day, but aren't you a little old for that?" she yelped as Emily swatted her with a spatula. "Hey!"

"Those boys treat me like I'm their mother and you know it!"

"A very hot mother, might I add."

"Shut up and go develop your pictures."

Serena grinned and hopped off the bar stool, reaching over the counter to give Emily a smacking kiss on her good cheek. Emily's lips twitched, but she sternly pointed towards the stairs leading to the upstairs portion. The younger woman blew her a kiss and bounded up the stairs just as the door to the house opened.

"Whose there?" called out Emily. She turned off the stove and set the plate of pancakes on the table. At that moment, Paul Lahote sauntered into the room. "Oh, hello, Paul."

"Morning," said Paul. His tone was expressionless, but it usually was. He sat down without invitation and Emily pushed the plate towards him wordlessly. He offered her a half-hearted grin. "Thanks, Em."

Emily smiled back. "No problem. What's up? You're early."

"Sam kicked me off patrol," Paul rolled his eyes and allowed Emily to pour a generous amount of syrup onto his pancakes. "Apparently missing the routine for a few days means I'm off my game."

"How was the funeral?"

Pauls shrugged. "It was nice. We were never close, y'know? But she was still my mom. I met her husband. He seemed like an okay guy. He said she left some pictures and stuff of the two of us and he'd send them to me soon. I thought that was pretty decent of him."

Emily squeezed his shoulder reassuringly as she passed the counter, carrying another plate of pancakes. She picked up the bottle of syrup and said, "You can crash on the couch in the den, if you want. I won't tell Sam."

"Yeah, you will," grinned Paul. "But thanks. I should head home and see my dad. Who are those for?" he eyed the plate suspiciously.

"Oh, didn't Sam tell you? My best friend's younger sister, Serena, is visiting for a few weeks. She's working on a photography project for college and I asked her to stay with me for the summer while she takes pictures around the Rez," Emily placed the syrup bottle on the plate and winked at Paul. "She'll be at the bonfire tonight too. You should meet her. She's very nice, and _very_ pretty."

The last part was said with a pointed look at Paul, who rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Em?"

"I'm just saying," she shrugged innocently. "Plus, she's an _amazing_ baker. Her mother taught me everything I know."

"That's nice, but I'll pass on the blind dates," Paul stood up and stretched. "I'll come tonight though, _if_ you promise to not tell Sam that I went home and crashed."

Emily laughed. "Bye, Paul."

**!**

Serena absently flicked through the pictures she had just downloaded onto her laptop and selected a few solo shots of Emily, a few with her and Sam and finally a group picture of all the boys with Emily in the centre. Her mother and sister had been dying to see pictures of all the people who had been so welcoming at Sam and Emily's wedding, so she had promised to email a few nice ones. Since she had missed the wedding, it was her first time meeting everyone and she was surprised at how accepting the Quileutes were. She had barely known them for three days and already they were her favourite people.

Serena finished sending the email and shut her laptop, glancing at her watch and noting that it was almost time to leave for the barbecue on the beach that Emily had said they were supposed to go to. She ran to her closet and sifted through the clothes aimlessly; she had nobody to impress here, but she hadn't left the house much since she had come. Shrugging, she grabbed an off the shoulder white lace top, more for the comfortable fit than the amount of skin it showed, and opted to stick with the jeans she had worn that morning after showering. She changed, quickly ran a brush through her dark brown hair and grabbed a hair clip off her bed before rushing down the stairs. Emily stood in the living room, hands on her hips. There was a basket at her feet.

Serena bit her lip and swayed back and forth on the balls of her feet, resisting the urge to smile. "Hi, Em."

"You're late," said Emily crisply. "We were supposed to get a ride with Paul, but now we'll have to _walk_."

Serena blinked and glanced out the window behind her. The view was of the beach. The barbecue was at the beach. She blinked again. "Emily, you _live_ on the beach. What's so bad about walking?"

Emily raised her eyebrows. "Oh, honey, this is going to be one _long_ summer if you keep this up," she picked up the basket and opened the front door, gesturing for her to go first. "What's so bad about walking? _You're_ carrying the basket."


	2. Chapter 2

"Serena!"

"Claire-bear!"

"Look, Quil got me a doll!"

"Look, Emily got me a basket that weighs more than Quil!"

Claire frowned. "But you can't carry something that heavy, you're a girl."

Serena rolled her eyes as Quil took the basket from her. She rubbed her sore arms and threw him a dirty look as she held Claire's hand. "You're turning the kid into a damsel in distress, you idiot."

Quil grinned. "I didn't say anything. She makes me carry around everything she touches; she's not used to seeing anyone carry something heavy."

"Yeah well, she's not used to seeing single girls either," Serena frowned as they neared the beach. For every Quileute boy she saw, there was definitely a girl curled into his side. "Seriously, did I miss the plus one invite?"

Quil laughed. "We like bringing our girls out here, why is that so bad?"

"You guys are rubbing in the fact that I'm the only one here who's single."

"Leah is single too."

"Leah scares the crap out of boys," Serena pouted and bent down, scooping up Claire into her arms. "Well, I guess I belong at the kids table. See ya!" she ran for the water, allowing Claire to shriek with laughter into her ear. When she neared the water, she set Claire down and collapsed onto the sand, running a hand through her hair and grinning when the little girl copied her.

"So, tell me, Claire-bear," Serena cupped her face in her hands and grinned again when Claire did the same. "Who's the cutest boy here?"

Claire giggled. "Aunt Emily told me to tell you that Paul is cute."

Serena's eyebrows shot up. "Now why would Aunt Emily tell you to say that?"

"Because she's bored and Paul's lonely," said a voice behind them. Claire jumped up and ran away and Serena grinned as Leah Clearwater took a seat next to her.

"I haven't met Paul," said Serena. "Em said he was up in Tacoma."

"He went to his mother's funeral," shrugged Leah. "His parents divorced when he was eight. She had cancer. He was pretty sad."

"Oh," Serena played with the sand for a few seconds. Leah rolled her eyes.

"Its okay, Serena. Emily is just bored. Paul's an okay guy, but he has a bad temper. Not your type."

Serena laughed. "You don't know my type, Leah!"

"You're sunshine and rainbows and he's thunderclouds and lightning."

Serena snorted. "Have you been asleep since we met?"

Leah cracked a smile. "Okay, maybe that was a bit too much."

"Yeah, maybe," Serena stood up and held out a hand, which Lead accepted. "Okay, so since we are obviously the only single girls in this whole damn tribe, what do we do?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "Embrace it."

"I reject it. Come on, Leah!" she whined. "I'm _bored_."

"I'll introduce you to Paul," Leah grabbed her arm and dragged her to where a few boys were setting up tables for the food Sam was grilling. Serena recognized Quil, Jared and Embry, but the fourth one was unknown.

"Hey, Paul," called out Leah. He turned around and raised a hand to return Leah's wave, but Serena had ducked down, more out of embarrassment than need, to tie her shoe. She made to straighten up, but a loud noise sounded behind her and she unceremoniously fell to the ground as Claire jumped onto her back. Spitting sand out of her mouth and trying not to die of embarrassment, she huffed and reached up a hand to steady Claire, but realized someone had already pulled her off. Judging by the jean-clad legs and dark shoes in front of her face, it was probably Paul. She winced and started to stand, but suddenly his hand was there, under her elbow, helping her up. She raised her eyes and they locked with his immediately.

She sucked in a deep breath. His eyes were dark brown and filled with wonder, as if he was seeing a girl for the first time. It should have made her uncomfortable, but it didn't. Serena found herself looking right back at him. He was ridiculously good-looking, but something about him other than his face made her continue to stare, trying to piece together the various expressions she saw flitting through his eyes. She couldn't help but think that if there was a camera that could somehow capture the look in his eyes at that moment, she would cut off her right arm for it, just to be able to see that expression whenever she wanted. Before she could even blink, however, he had looked away and was stalking off towards the woods at the edge of the shore.

Serena blinked and let out a breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding. Her hand clawed in mid-air until it came into contact with Leah's shoulder. She tore her eyes away from Paul's shrinking figure and turned to her friend. "Leah?" asked Serena. Her friend didn't answer, merely narrowed her eyes. Serena followed her line of sight and saw Quil and Jared run off after Paul as Embry jogged towards them. "What's going on?" Serena shook Leah's arm. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Nah, don't worry about it," suddenly Embry was in front of them. He grinned. "That's just Paul being Paul. You'll have to excuse him, Serena, he doesn't take well to new people. He probably just went to take a walk. He was saying he wanted to, just now. Don't worry."

Serena frowned. "Are you sure? Because I feel like he just looked at me and went off."

"No way," Leah finally seemed to find her voice. She gave Serena a bright smile. "Forget Paul. I'll introduce you guys later. In fact, he'll probably come up to you himself soon enough. He's not rude, at least not to new people. Want a burger?" she said everything a little too fast.

Too confused to argue, Serena allowed Embry and Leah to lead her off towards Sam. While she was helping Emily unload the basket, she could have sworn she saw Embry and Sam exchange a few quick words in which her name was mentioned, but when she looked up Embry was gone and Sam was handing Leah a plate with an expressionless face.

The rest of the night passed quickly enough, and by the time Jared had gotten the fire blazing, Serena had almost forgotten about Paul's eyes. That was, until she saw him sitting on the other side of the fire staring right at her with the same expression in them.

She blinked, but he had hadn't looked away this time. She wanted to do something; speak to him, or smile, or show that she wasn't some creep who was content to stare back at a stranger. But at that moment, Seth Clearwater sat down next to her and claimed her full attention.

"You're staring," he sounded amused as he handed her a muffin.

Serena looked away from Paul immediately and blushed at Seth's knowing look. She snatched the muffin from him and sneaked a look at Paul again, but he was gone. She sighed. "I'm such a creep."

"You could just talk to him," Seth bit into his own muffin and chewed thoughtfully. "That's what strangers who stare at each other do, right? I mean, once they're over the staring. They talk."

"What am I supposed to say?"

"You could tell him your name."

"He knows my name."

"You could say you think he's cute."

"Now you're just making fun of me."

"Now you sound like Leah."

"I like her more than you," Serena stuck out her tongue at the younger boy and walked off towards the shore. In the distance, she could see Quil sitting with Claire, listening attentively to whatever she was saying. She started off towards them, bumping her toes against a few tide pools on the way there. She wasn't clumsy, but obviously today wasn't her day; she tripped and was about to go down, but quickly jumped back. In doing so, her shoulder slammed against one of the rocks and she fell onto her side, shrieking loudly in surprise and pain.

She heard voices and footsteps coming towards her, but she didn't move. Her eyes were watery and her arm was killing her. She heard Emily near her head asking her what was wrong, but she used her good hand to wave her off and merely sat up, hissing in pain. Sam's hand was immediately on her shoulder, holding her still. Through the ringing in her ears, Serena tried to focus on what he was saying.

"What hurts, Serena?" his voice was steady. "You almost fell into one of the tide pools. Is it your head? Did you hit it on a rock?"

"Ugh, _no_," she scrunched up her eyes in pain and swatted away his hand. "I'm _fine_. I just hurt my shoulder, I think."

"Let me see," commanded Sam. Serena didn't try to argue, but made a face at Claire, who was clinging to Quil's legs in front of her and looking horrified. Her expression cleared up, but immediately became fearful again when Serena gasped with pain as Sam's hand touched her shoulder blade.

"Bruised but good," he muttered above her. "No permanent damage. You'll be fine."

"Yipee, now shoo!" Serena swatted his away again. "God, you guys are all huge."

"We're standing and you're sitting, that's why," Leah rolled her eyes and held out a hand for Serena to take. She accepted it and got to her feet, but immediately leaned against Leah, frowning.

"Ouch," she bent down and touched her ankle. "Oh."

"Ouch? Oh?" Emily sounded hysterical. "What did you _do_?"

"I bruised my shoulder and sprained my ankle," she shrugged. "Its no big deal, you know I sprain it all the time."

Emily huffed. "I should ground you for this."

Serena looked up in horror. "You can still ground me?"

"Of course I can."

"But I'm living in your house!"

"All the more reason. You're banned from stepping outside of my front door until that ankle heals. Now, lets go home."

Serena huffed and stuck her tongue out at Emily's retreating back. Sam snorted and ruffled her hair affectionately. "I'll start the car. We'll wait for you to catch up," he told her. "Unless you want me to carry you?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "No, thanks. Leah can be my crutch," she beamed at her friend, who gave her a dirty look, but allowed her to swing her arm around her shoulders anyway.

Serena gave a mock bow to Quil, Claire, Seth and Embry, the only people remaining around her. They laughed and waved as she began limping away with Leah's help.

"How did you guys get to me so fast?" asked Serena when the two girls were a good distance away from the other people. Leah's face suddenly became perfectly blank, as if she was hiding something, but her tone was neutral when she spoke.

"You yelled pretty loudly, and we saw you fall," she shrugged. "I figured you must have gotten hurt."

"You were all pretty far away to have heard me," pointed out Serena.

"Well, what other explanation is there?"

Serena shrugged. "Just wondering. Voices must carry on this beach, huh?"

"Yeah."

They walked on in silence until they reached Sam's car. He took over for Leah as Serena's crutch and helped her get into the backseat. As he got into the car and drove away, Serena turned back to wave at Leah, only to see that she wasn't alone. Paul was standing next to her, and the look in his eyes hadn't changed at all.


	3. Chapter 3

_"How does it feel, Paul?"_

_"Shut up, Leah."_

_"I don't even know why you asked him, Leah, we can see everything he's feeling and I think-"_

_"Seth," _Sam's voice was calm. _"Take the north perimeter with Leah. Quil and Embry, take the south. Jared, take Colin and Brady around to the Cullens', check up on Jacob. Paul, you're with me."_

Paul didn't argue, and the wolves went their separate ways. He followed Sam's dark form swiftly, trying very hard not to think. They reached the edge of the woods and Sam stopped.

_"Go change back, we're talking."_

Paul didn't argue. Back in their human forms, Sam sat down cross legged on the ground and indicated for Paul to do the same. He frowned. "What?"

Sam merely looked at him. His dark eyes were calm, but when he indicated for Paul to sit, he obeyed automatically. The last thing he wanted to do was talk, but he couldn't disobey a direct order from his Alpha.

Sam folded his arms across his chest. "When you imprint on someone, Paul, you don't avoid them," he said. "You _can't_. We need to talk about your reaction today. There are certain things you need to understand and I will answer all your questions, but I need you to talk to me about it first. I need to know what you're feeling."

Paul merely stared at the ground, but the ensuing silence told him that Sam wasn't going to talk until he said something. He took a deep breath. "I don't even know her." It was all he could say. He had never met Serena, he knew nothing about her, but it was physically hurting him to be away from her.

Surprisingly, Sam didn't speak. He stood up, and Paul did the same. "You should talk to Emily," was all he said. He jogged back into the woods and transformed; Paul heard him run off to catch up with the rest of the pack. He sighed, but dragged his feet in the opposite direction, towards Sam and Emily's house. He didn't want to talk to anyone, but he knew why he was so willing to go to that house. Serena was staying there, and even one glimpse of her face would keep him going until he saw her again.

He knocked on the door this time, something he hadn't done in years. Emily opened it, and she seemed to know why he had come, because she smiled gently and came outside instead of inviting him in. There was an old sofa on the deck, where she now sat and indicated for Paul to do the same.

"She's fine," Emily's voice was soft. "She twisted her ankle pretty badly, but that girl is always hurting herself somehow or the other. She'll be fine in a couple of days. I just helped her to bed," Paul didn't look up to meet her eyes. "Do you want to see her, Paul?"

Her question caught him off guard. He blinked. "Uh."

Emily shook her head. "Sam told me what happened. What obsession do you Quilete boys have with us Makah girls anyway?" she raised an eyebrow. Paul cracked a smile, but didn't answer. She sighed. "Come on, Paul. What's up? Is it because you don't know her all that well?"

Paul shrugged. Emily folded her arms across her chest and gave him a look. Paul took the hint. "I feel weird about it, but I don't. It doesn't seem okay for this to happen without knowing her for even a few days."

"Love doesn't have to make sense, Paul," Emily patted his hand reassuringly. "Trust me, just talk to her a couple of times and things will start to work out. She's an amazing person. I've known her since she was ten years old and she has never been sad a day in her life. She's perfect for you. She'll manage that temper of yours pretty well," her voice became teasing, and Paul managed to crack a smile, but his eyes flitted up of their own accord, to the sole window on the first floor through which you could see that the light was still on.

**!**

The ringing of the doorbell made Serena curse and reach for the oven mitts, quickly removing the containers from the oven and kicking the door shut with her good foot. Wincing with pain, she limped across the room towards the main door and, without bothering to even ask who it was, wrenched it open. What she didn't expect was for Paul to be holding the other end of the doorknob, obviously about to enter since she had answered it late. Serena leaned back as the door opened and blinked when she saw who it was. Without thinking, she tried to take a step back, and ended up tripping over her bandaged foot. She yelped, but felt a hand close around her wrist as soon as she lost her balance.

Serena hovered in mid-air for a few seconds before Paul helped her back to her feet. He didn't remove his hand from her arm. She looked up at him. He was grinning.

"We need to stop meeting like this," she almost melted as his voice hit her ears. It was deep and soft and the kind of voice she wanted to wake up to every morning. It also sounded incredibly amused.

"Yeah," she snapped out of her daze and offered him her usual, friendly grin. "Sorry for falling to your feet every time, I usually save that for at least the third date," she had to work hard to make it sound like a joke.

Fortunately, he seemed to get the joke and find it maybe a little funnier than it really was. He laughed and let go of her arm, offering her his hand. "Paul."

"Serena," she shook his hand gingerly. He was bigger than she had expected, and she had to resist the urge to cringe away from him. He didn't seem to notice though.

"Is Emily here?" he asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Nope, she left to go grocery shopping. Can I help?" Serena moved away from the door and gestured for him to enter.

"I smelled pie," he grinned, a little abashed. "I thought I could get in before the guys came around."

"Well, your sense of smell is pretty accurate, and I'm glad to know my pies smell the same as Emily's," Serena grinned and jerked her head towards the kitchen. "She grounded me for spraining my ankle and gave me a list of chores that don't involve leaving the house."

"She's letting you cook?"

"Yup," Serena limped her way to the kitchen and got behind the counter. "In fact, I'm glad you came by. Here," she pushed one of the many dishes that littered the counter towards him. "I need someone to test these on."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "You're using me as a lab rat?"

Serena tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, not _technically_, but…" she trailed off and shrugged, beaming up at him brightly. "Please?"

Paul blinked. Serena's smile didn't falter, but internally she did wonder if she was laying it on too thick. However, to her surprise, Paul didn't even argue. He merely picked up a fork and dug out a large piece from the dish. Serena watched him chew, her eyes narrowed. After he swallowed, he looked at her for a few seconds and then grinned, giving her a thumbs up sign.

Serena clapped her hands together with glee. "Finally! I thought I had forgotten the recipe."

Paul grinned again and took another bite. "These taste exactly like the ones Emily makes."

"They're the same ones. My mom taught her and my sister how to cook, I was just the annoying ten year old who liked making a mess."

Paul laughed again. They lapsed into silence, and Serena gave him a small smile before ducking down under the counter, pretending to rummage for something but in actuality she was racking her brain trying to figure out what to say next. Fortunately, Paul beat her to it.

"Sam mentioned you wanted to see the caves up by the cliff," Serena peered up from under the counter and nodded. Paul raised his eyebrows. "It's a long hike, and its dangerous."

"I normally wouldn't be up for it, especially not with my track record," Serena straightened up and limped to the other side of the counter, taking a seat opposite him and swiping his fork from his hand. "I'm a really bad hiker. But I need pictures for my photography project, and its due in December. It'll be too cold in a month or so to go there, so I figured I should try for now," she helped herself to some pie and put the fork down. "Why do you ask?"

Paul picked up the abandoned fork and took another bite before handing it back to her. "Sam asked me if I could take you since I know the area pretty well," he said after swallowing. "My dad and I used to go camping up there."

"Oh," she blinked. "Well, I don't want to bug you. I can manage on my own too."

"If your project is due in December it makes sense to go now. Its bear season, but we'll stick to the main paths," he grinned. "As long as you don't make any pies, they'll stay away from us."

Serena laughed. "Point noted. I'll dig through these cupboards and try to make anti-bear snacks."

"Good idea," his voice was so solemn that Serena burst out laughing again. Paul grinned. "How early can you be up?"

"Not for a couple of days," she indicated her ankle.

Paul nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking next week. I want to go up there in advance and make sure you won't break your neck this time otherwise Sam will break mine."

Serena laughed. "I appreciate that."

"So, next Sunday how early can you be up?"

Her laughter died. Her eyes widened. "How early?" she squeaked. "Uh, I'm a late riser."

Now it was Paul's turn to laugh. "Define late riser."

"Uh, after two p.m.?" Serena winced.

Paul snorted. "How about we leave here at ten and I buy you coffee?"

Serena hit her head against the kitchen counter. "I don't suppose there's a night excursion option?"

"Nope."

She sighed. "Make it ten thirty and two of the biggest containers you can find."

"Deal," Paul's lips twitched. Serena was surprised to find that he was smiling quite a bit around her. It wasn't strange, since she had probably said more stupid things in their short exchange than she had ever said to any boy she had ever met, but she remembered the look on his face the first time he had seen her, a cross between shock and amazement. His current reaction didn't explain any of it and she couldn't bring herself to shrug it off.

Suddenly, she remembered something she had to say and blurted it out without thinking. "I'm sorry about your mom."

Paul blinked. He wasn't smiling anymore, but he also didn't look like he wanted to kill her. Serena took that as a good sign. He shrugged. "Its okay. We weren't close."

"But she was your mom," Paul shrugged again. Serena bit her lip. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said it like that. Its just that Leah told me yesterday and I just remembered, and I just wanted to say that I know how you feel and I also know its pretty sucky to not have someone to talk to or even just to say stupid things you can totally come to me because I'm a really good listener so if you ever want to talk I'm here and I think I've proven that I say a lot of stupid stuff."

Paul blinked. Serena immediately covered her mouth with her hands. He smiled a little. "Wow. You talk fast."

"I'm _so_ sorry!" Serena hid her face in her hands. "I rant when I'm nervous, I really didn't mean to make you awkward when you're being so nice to me!"

"Its okay," he laughed. "Thanks, for your rant. Honestly, it was much better than all the other speeches I've had to listen to. It was funny."

Serena didn't remove her hands. "Good funny or bad funny?"

"Good funny," Serena peeked at him through her fingers and saw that his expression was completely clear. In fact, he looked happier than he had when he had walked through the door, and she was sure it wasn't because of her pies. Then again, a quick glance at the counter littered with half eaten dishes showed that chances were her cooking played a major part in lifting his spirits.


	4. Chapter 4

"I heard Paul came to see you yesterday," Emily smiled as she handed a plate to Serena, who fumbled before drying and replacing it in the cupboard. Internally, Emily snickered at the younger woman's flustered look. "What did he want?"

"I think he wanted pie," mumbled Serena. Emily frowned. Serena continued to frown. "He came by thinking you were cooking and ended up offering to take me to the cave you told me about."

"That was nice of him," Emily's tone was even as she turned off the water, but her eyes were twinkling. "When is he taking you?"

"Its not a date, don't say it like that," Serena rolled her eyes and limped off towards the living room. "But definitely after I don't need to hop from one room to the other," she winced and sank down onto the couch. "I hate being clumsy."

"I don't know how you manage to hurt yourself so often," Emily followed her and handed her a mug of hot chocolate. Serena pouted and picked up a marshmallow from the top, tossing it into her mouth. Emily smiled a little and sat down opposite her. "So, was he nice to you?"

Serena frowned. "He didn't come to ask for my hand in marriage, Em. He was really nice though. Not what I expected, I guess."

"What did you expect?"

"Six feet of pure muscle and attitude," Serena took another sip of her drink. "He made me laugh."

"Paul is a nice guy, Serena," said Emily, a little too earnestly. "He's had a rough time, ever since his mom got sick, and he has a bad temper, but he's getting better. Be nice to him. He could use a friend like you."

Serena snorted. "A friend like me?"

"Someone who makes him laugh."

"I'm sure Jared and Seth are good for that too."

Emily sighed. "Just be nice. They're coming over for dinner."

"Fun," Serena rolled her eyes. "Do I get to sit on this couch all night?"

"You get to sit on this couch and play with Claire."

Serena grinned. "Is that a punishment?"

"Not for you," the corner of Emily's lip twitched as she got up and ruffled Serena's hair on her way upstairs. "Go change soon, and look nice. I want to take some pictures of _you _now."

**!**

Serena bit her lip as she sat on her bed. Her fingers fiddled with her hair nervously. She had managed to dress herself without falling over, opting for a dark blue t-shirt and jeans. She stayed barefoot, knowing that moving was out of the option while Emily was watching her. She sighed and grabbed her camera from next to her, glancing in the mirror again. She wanted to look nice without being too obvious about it, but she didn't have the energy for picking out clothes, so she had done her make-up nicer than usual instead. Still, she doubted _he _would notice. It was silly to even expect him to. She blinked a few times and finally turned to head downstairs.

The living room was full of boys, but not the one she was unconsciously searching for. Blushing despite herself, Serena willed herself to stop thinking and was helped down the last few steps by Seth, who went so far as to find her an empty spot on the sofa so she could put her foot up and still be next to Clair, who snuggled up next to her immediately and then continued colouring.

"How's the ankle?" asked Embry, sinking down into the spot next to her. It was an uncomfortable squeeze, but Serena had grown accustomed to the large sizes of the boys. She didn't even flinch, merely threw him a quick smile, answered his question, and returned to her camera. She held it up to her face and zoomed in on Emily and Sam standing side by side near the kitchen island. Smirking, she took a shot of them and observed the room through her lens. Embry had not moved from next to her, so she immediately felt his rather large form stiffen, a prelude to the deafening silence that suddenly filled the room.

Serena lowered her camera from her face and raised her eyebrows as little Claire was suddenly scooped up into Quil's arms, away from her. Embry got up from the sofa, moving towards the door, and out of the corner of her eye she saw Jared take hold of Kim's hand. She frowned. "What's going on?"

Then she heard it too. It was a wolf howling; drawn-out and loud, obviously it had been what the boys had heard before any of them. For some reason, the sound caused a shiver to run down her spine. She blinked and tried to sit up, but immediately a warm hand was on her shoulder, holding her down. She looked up, surprised to see Paul appear literally out of thin air behind her. Then again, she hadn't looked before she sat. He had probably been behind her the whole time. She wanted to say something, but the atmosphere was thick with tension and he hadn't let go of her shoulder.

"Its alright," his tone was soothing, and it seemed as if his words were everyone's cue to begin acting normally. "The wolves get pretty close sometimes."

Serena nodded mutely, trying to return the smile he had just shot her way. The room was noisy once again, but she noticed that Embry had disappeared and Quil had taken Claire away to the other side of the room. As if it was the most casual thing in the world, Paul walked around the sofa and sat down next to her, shifting his hand from her shoulder so he could throw an arm casually around the back of her seat.

Serena wanted to talk, but she couldn't. Paul made her feel like a preteen with a crush. Without even considering it, she turned to face him and held her camera up to her face, covering it so she could ogle him as much as she wanted without him noticing. He obviously had noticed, though, but the smile tugging at the corner of his lips indicated that he was humouring her.

"You can stop posing," Serena was now sufficiently calm to avoid stammering. "I've got all the shots I need."

Paul's lips twitched again. "Do I get to star in your project now?"

Serena grinned, pleased that he remembered. "Sure. I'll dedicate a whole page to you and go on and on about what an amazing tour guide you are."

"What if I'm really bad?"

"Then I'll replace all your pictures with shots of Seth."

Paul laughed. The vibration was pleasant. "Ultimate threat."

"You know it," Serena held the camera up again, aiming for Jared and Kim. "Gosh, the amount of couples in here is depressing."

Paul laughed again. "Tell me about it. Wait till you have to attend one of those campfire barbeques with the Elders. That's when it really gets bad."

"Why?"

"Because they hound you about being single."

"The Elders?" Serena lowered her camera. "No way. Back home the Elders want us to stay away from boys forever."

"Not here," Paul smirked. "You should've see Jake's dad hand it to him before he started dating Nessie. It was hilarious."

"Until they started picking on you," said Serena knowingly.

Paul laughed again, but it sounded forced this time. "Yeah, I guess."

They were silent then, but it was a good silence. Serena recanted their conversation so far in her head and felt her cheeks redden at the subtle hint he had given her: he was obviously single, and obviously more than a little interested, but she couldn't figure out how much. She didn't have much time, either, and that thought made her bite her lips anxiously. She didn't want a summer fling, but there was something about Paul that seemed so dangerous and so endearing at the same time. She couldn't resist.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Serena! Catch!"

Serena scowled as a beach towel landed unceremoniously on the ground next to her. She stuck her tongue out childishly at Leah, who threw her a cocky grin and ran off into the water with the other boys. She still wasn't allowed to move, so swimming was out of the question. It was a rare, sunny day, and even though Serena felt infinitely better, Emily wouldn't let her do anything except walk to the car and back.

"You look annoyed," Paul's now-familiar voice sounded behind her and Serena craned her neck up to look at him. He was upside down.

"Everyone is being mean to me," she whined. Paul chuckled and sat down on the sand next to her. All the boys were warm, ensuring that Serena never felt cold as long as one of them kept an arm slung around her. Paul never touched her, except for the occasional hi-five or to help her stand up or sit down. Today, however, he sat quite close to her. Despite his body temperature, Serena shivered unconsciously.

"Emily is being a mother hen, Leah's just a bitch," he lay back on the sand, grunting as Serena smacked him across his bare chest in reproach. "She's not a bitch," he admitted sullenly at her glare. "She's just… angsty."

Serena snorted. "Right. That's so much better. Why aren't you in the water?" she realized they were alone on the beach; even Sam and Emily had joined the rest.

Paul shrugged, his face breaking into a small scowl when she continued to look curious. "You were sitting alone," he muttered. Serena continued to look at him in confusion. He frowned and made to stand up. "Maybe I should-"

"Want a cookie?" her voice was hasty. She didn't know Paul very well, but she knew enough about his mood swings to know that he was slightly over-sensitive, and didn't like his actions being questioned. Whether he was sitting with her because he felt he had to, or because he wanted to, Serena didn't want to know. She just knew she didn't want him to leave.

His face cleared at the mention of food. "You made cookies?"

"It was another one of Emily's chores," Serena smiled brightly when she saw his mood improve. "I make half of the food for you guys now. I'm seriously considering teaching Kim how to cook as well, I've seen the way Jared eats and I think she needs to contribute."

Paul laughed. "Kim's nice," he said, accepting a cookie out of the small box Serena had dug out of her bag. Seeing her raised eyebrows, he grinned and took two more. She knew him better than she thought. "She doesn't talk much but Jared never shuts up about her. I'm surprised you guys aren't friends yet."

"I think we are," Serena munched a cookie thoughtfully. "It's just that I end up spending more time with Leah and Claire than I do with her, since Jared always steals her away. Its sweet and all, but I haven't had much time to talk to her because of it. Have they been dating long?"

"Yeah, its been a while. Don't ask me how long," he added, laughing when Serena opened her mouth to speak. "I don't remember that kind of stuff. Kim's always been around, Jared just took a long time to see it."

Serena snorted. "I thought they were love at first sight?"

Something in her tone caused Paul to turn around and look at her fully. Serena resisted the urge to drool: he was gorgeous, from his tanned skin to his dark, closely cropped hair. She had never had a thing for buff guys, preferring the lean and slightly lanky ones near her own reservation. However, after seeing Paul, she could safely say her type had completely changed.

She blinked, realizing he was speaking. "I'm sorry, what?"

Paul smirked. Serena turned pink, realizing that he had probably noticed her ogling him. However, he didn't comment. He took another cookie. "I'll tell you later."

Serena frowned. "Why? I want to know now."

"You can't know now," there was laughter in his voice.

"Why not?" she persisted.

"Because…"

"Because?"

"Because."

"Paul!" she glared when he laughed. She took the box away from his reaching hands. "No more cookies for you. You're just as mean as Leah," she stuck out her tongue at him as he continued to laugh. Her hair came loose from her bun, and she stuffed the box into her bag before kicking Paul in the shin with her good foot. "You ruined my hair," she accused him as he looked at her in surprise. "You deserved it."

Paul looked like he wanted to laugh again. "I bet that hurt you more than it hurt me."

Serena ignored him, and the throbbing in her foot, before she pulled the broken hair elastic out of her hair, letting it fall down her back in slightly damp waves. As she reached into her bag for another one, she felt Paul's warm hand close over her wrist, stopping her. She looked up, surprised to find that he was so close. His eyes, warm and brown and earnest, were focused on her face.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?" his voice was soft. Serena felt trapped in his gaze. It was gentle and intense at the same time, as if nothing in the world mattered except her answer. Her mouth went dry, but she forced herself to shake her head no, not trusting herself to speak. His eyes lightened, and he smiled back, as if her answer had just lifted a weight off his shoulders. "Don't tie your hair," his voice was a murmur, but she heard it anyway. Automatically, she dropped the bag.

Paul smiled wider, reaching forward to tuck a loose strand behind her ear. His fingers just barely brushed her cheek as he withdrew his hand, but Serena could feel every atom in the spot that his fingers had touched. Her body was humming with the realization that he had come even closer now, and he was still smiling. Without even trying, she was smiling back, allowing the warm hand at her wrist to envelop her whole hand, his fingers fitting into the gaps between her own. Her reactions to him felt automatic, and just so _right_. She had never felt this way before, let alone with a boy she had barely known for a week.

"Hey, Paul!" the spell was broken. He blinked, and Serena immediately looked away, intently staring at the pattern on her oversized t-shirt. She didn't know if she had pulled her hand away or he had, all she knew was that the warmth was gone, and she suddenly felt cold. Paul was standing, talking to Embry. His hands were clenched into fists, and his tone was gruff as he answered in monosyllables. Serena bit her lip and zipped up her bag, attempting to stand up so she could join Emily and the others near the bonfire. It had gotten dark while she had been sitting with Paul, she noted with some surprise.

Before she could get to her feet, warm hands with grasping her arms, allowing her to lean onto something solid so she could secure her balance. She looked up. Of course, it was Paul. He smiled at her, a little lopsidedly, and she smiled back.

"Thanks," her voice was quieter than she had intended it to be.

"You're welcome," his voice was just as quiet. "The Elders are here. They're going to tell the stories. Emily is saying if you want to head home, you can."

Serena wanted desperately to ask him if he would go with her, but bit her tongue. Her infatuation was messing with her head. "I don't want to bug anyone. And I'm not tired anyway, I'll stay."

"You're sure?" Paul's eyebrows furrowed. "You don't have to stay, Serena. I can take you home, or one of the guys, or Leah, and one of us can even stay with you if you want."

Serena bit her lip. More alone time with Paul would result in something happening, definitely, but she wasn't sure she wanted it to happen yet. Her head was beginning to ache, and she was hungry. There was no point going home. "I'll stay," she said finally. "Is there any food left over?"

"There should be. You hungry?"

Serena shrugged, feeling suddenly shy. She hitched her bag further up her shoulder and stuffed her feet into her sandals, acutely aware of the fact that Paul was standing and waiting for her. She resisted the urge to run a hand through her hair and gestured for him to lead the way. Refusing to allow silence to fall between them, she started talking about the first thing that popped into her head. "What are the Elders doing here?"

"They want to tell the stories," said Paul. "They do it once every few weeks."

"Do you know all the stories?"

"Yeah. My dad substituted bedtime stories for Quilete legends."

Serena giggled. "That's so cute. What were you like as a baby?"

Paul seemed surprised at her question. Serena laughed louder when she saw his cheeks turn dark: he was blushing. "I was normal," he grunted.

"I'm sure you were," Serena bit her lip to control her laughter and patted his forearm comfortingly.

"My mom said I used to yell a lot," Paul ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "I started talking late."

Serena imagined a baby Paul screaming his head off when someone else ate the last piece of bacon and giggled again. They reached the bonfire, and Paul helped her sit down on one of the logs, almost fussing when he realized she couldn't put her foot up as Emily had instructed her to do. Serena had merely giggled and slid off the log onto the sand, stretching her leg out and patting the spot next to her. Ignoring the pack's look at her gesture, Paul accepted her unspoken invitation and sat down, suddenly remembering something.

"You were hungry," he frowned when she shrugged. "What?"

"I should have eaten with everyone else. Food is finished," she snorted. "Its fine. I'll make myself a sandwich when I get home."

"You won't be able to get home till later."

"Doesn't matter. I'm not like you guys, I handle hunger just fine," she flashed him a quick grin and turned slightly on her side, focusing on Old Quil's words as he began the story.

After around fifteen minutes, Serena moved so she was leaning sideways against the log and was surprised to see that Paul had vanished. She frowned, catching Seth's eye from across the bonfire. He grinned and held up his phone as way of explanation, obviously understanding the reason for her confusion. Serena blinked and reached into her bag for her phone, seeing that she had two messages. Both were from an unknown number.

The first one had been sent ten minutes ago. _I'll be right back. Cover for me in case anyone notices._

The second one was less vague. _Seth gave me your number. –Paul._

Absently wondering why he would feel the need to tell her that he would be coming back, and internally enjoying the attention, she rested her elbow on the log and leaned her head against her hand, ignoring Emily's disapproving look and discreetly tapping out a reply.

_Don't worry, I don't think you're a stalker. You're hard to miss though. Everything cool?_

She barely had to wait a second before the reply came. _Cheese or no cheese?_

Serena frowned, wondering if he had accidentally sent her a text meant for someone else. After a minute though, he texted again. _I'm in the line and I swear this girl makes Leah look like an angel. You're making me suffer. Cheese or no cheese?_

Realization dawned rapidly after that. She blushed and smiled and sighed at the same time, her heart racing. Emily was glaring at her now, but she didn't care. _Cheese. Thank you, knight in shining armour!_

She barely heard any of the Elders after that. Thanking whatever higher power there was that she already knew most of the stories and was thus able to keep up despite constantly staring at her phone and re-reading Paul's messages, she grinned when she got another text only a few minutes later. _I don't have enough to share. Think you can sneak away?_

_For food? Anything!_

_That's my kind of girl. _It was ridiculous to blush at his statement. She scrambled up and noticed that everyone was politely ignoring her. It was almost as if they knew… shaking off the feeling, she picked up her bag and trudged back towards the spot where she had been sitting with Paul earlier, knowing that everyone's cars weren't far off. It was dark, but she walked slowly, careful to not fall over and hurt herself again. When she reached the edge of the beach, she saw his now familiar truck parked close by. The passenger door was open invitingly. Smiling, she tossed her bag in first and then followed it. Paul's grinning face met her.

"You didn't have to do this," said Serena, attempting to sound reproving. She failed. She was hungry, and the gesture had been incredibly sweet, something she was ashamed to realize she had not thought Paul capable of.

"I wanted to," he shrugged, running a hand through his hair. It seemed to be a nervous habit. "It's my fault anyway. I know what the guys are like; I should have warned you to get something to eat while they were in the water."

Serena smiled as she accepted the burger he passed her. She quickly took a bite, sighing in relief with her mouth full of food. She caught Paul's eye as she took a sip of Coke. He looked amused. She blushed. His smile grew a little. "You have ketchup on your face," he told her. Serena's face turned redder. He noticed and laughed. "Here," he picked up a napkin and wiped her cheek clean, crumpling it and tossing it out the window when he was done.

"I swear I'm not a slob," said Serena, self-consciously rubbing her cheek. It was burning again, and he hadn't even touched her himself this time.

"I know," his voice was doing that thing again, where it became gentle and intense at the same time and made her stomach do flip flops. It always seemed to happen when they were alone: she realized that they hardly ever interacted like this in front of his friends. Maybe he was a private person…

"Less thinking, more eating," his voice cut through her thoughts, and she obediently look a bite, still lost in thought. When she finished chewing and swallowed, Paul was looking at her expectantly. She stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed. "What are you thinking so hard about?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me what you said at the beach earlier," she took another bite, gauging his reaction. He didn't appear frazzled. Maybe he had actually planned to tell her all along.

"I asked you if you believed in love at first sight," something about the way he said it caused Serena's hand to pause halfway in the act of picking up her drink. She frowned thoughtfully and took another bite. The burger was almost gone now, she would have to find another way to buy some time.

She shrugged when she saw his expectant expression. "I don't know. I've always wanted to fall in love though. The how and where don't matter as much."

Paul appeared surprised by her answer. "You've never been in love?"

Serena shook her head, then paused and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I don't know. I guess maybe, at the time when I dated a guy or liked someone I thought it was love, but maybe it was just my understanding of love at that time. I've never been with someone that I would ever be able to consider spending the rest of my life with. Have you?" she threw his question back at him and picked up her drink, filling her mouth with food again to stop herself from blurting out more embarrassing truths about her life.

"Maybe," Paul shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Why not?"

"How can you look at someone and know that they're the ones you're going to spend the rest of your life with?" Serena paused. The look on his face was so sincere that it made her heart hurt. Paul was one of the largest out of all the guys, and the one who had thus far been the most protective of her, helping her stand, making sure she was comfortable, opening doors and carrying her things everywhere. She had never seen him look so confused and vulnerable. She didn't know if he was talking about someone he had met, or if he was having an existential crisis, she just knew she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go until the pain faded from his voice. So, she did the next best thing.

She reached out, hesitantly, and rested her hand shyly on top of his, offering him a small smile. "Sometimes, you just know," she said softly. "And if you don't, its okay. Love takes time, right? If you're meant to be with someone, you'll have time on your side."

He cracked a smile at that. He seemed to be laughing at something she didn't know. "Yeah," he squeezed her hand. "Time sounds nice."


	6. Chapter 6

_"You bought her food? No fair, man! I was hungry too!"_

_"He's not trying to get you to like him, Seth, don't expect special treatment," _said Jared knowingly. "_Ease up, guys. And I'm glad me and Kim could be of service, Paul," _he added dryly.

Paul sniggered. _"Thanks, man. Never knew I'd appreciate your PDA that much."_

Jared laughed, but Seth was still whining. _"Come on, guys! I was hungry and Serena's _tiny_, she can't even have eaten that much!"_

Paul growled. Leah sighed. _"Shut up, Seth. Paul just made progress but he'll still kick your ass if you piss him off."_

Seth spluttered. _"Since when are you on his side?"_

_"I like Serena. She's more fun than Kim," _Leah ignored Jared's growl. _"Just don't be an idiot about this, Paul. She's not all butterflies and rainbows. She has some serious bite."_

Jared whistled as Leah pulled up a memory of her going through Serena's camera and coming up with some photos of a girl in full boxing gear, which turned out to be Serena herself. _"At least now we know she'll be willing to throw a good punch or two for the pack. I always knew Paul had a thing for a girl with a killer right hook."_

Paul groaned and began reciting multiplication tables, ignoring the pack's whines when they could no longer dig through his head. As much as he wanted to be spending every waking moment thinking about Serena, he didn't want to do it with Leah and Seth's commentary.

_"Hey, Paul?" _Embry's slightly timid voice elicited a grunt from Paul in response. _"Does she know the stories?"_

Leah answered before he could. _"She told me she does. Kept asking if Old Quil would turn into a wolf if he didn't get enough pie at dinner."_

_"She wasn't listening during the bonfire_," chimed in Seth. _"She was on her phone the whole time. Emily got Old Quil to leave out the imprinting part, but she wanted her to hear the legends, to see her reaction."_

_"Did she listen?" _asked Paul.

_"Nah, man. We were getting to the good stuff when she walked off. Don't worry, though. There might be another one in a week or so, you can see yourself how she handles it."_

They patrolled in silence after that, but Paul could still feel the tension coming from Embry's mind. He was closer to Serena than the other boys, because he was the youngest and the friendliest. He was allowing Paul to see into his mind now: the snippets of conversation that had led him to assume she didn't have a father, her closeness with her mother and sister, her horror at the story of Emily's injuries, her excitement for college… he knew why Embry was letting him see this. He growled. _"What are you getting at, kid? I'm not good enough for her?"_

_"That's not what I meant," _Embry's tone was defensive. _"I'm showing you what she's said, Paul. I think she'll want to stay with you no matter what, we can all see that she feels the pull too. I just don't think she should."_

The silence after that was deafening. Embry rarely voiced his opinion so clearly, and though Paul could vaguely hear Seth muttering at him to shut up and Leah hissing that he was an idiot, all he saw was red. He knew he had a temper, he knew he had absolutely no self-control, but the thought of hurting Serena made him feel physically sick. It was hard to trust himself, though, when no one else seemed to.

_"Paul, you're getting off track," _Jared's voice rang clearly in his head. _"You need to finish your patrol, then you can phase out and go see Sam. Don't do anything stupid. Paul!" _the last part was a yell since Paul was blindly running through the forest, patrol long forgotten. Embry had phased out when Jared had started speaking, obviously sensing that Paul was angry, but angry was an understatement. He was furious. The very idea that one of his pack-mates thought he would lay a hand on his imprint, that she wouldn't be safe with him, made his blood boil. Did Embry think she'd be safer with _him_, a _child_?

_"He didn't mean anything by it, Paul!" _Jared was still yelling. _"He's your friend, he's in your head, he knows what she means to you! The instinct to protect her is in all of us!"_

_"This isn't working. I'm getting Sam,"_ Leah was panicking. _"He's getting too close to where Embry was. You know what he's like, Jared."_

Leah's tone only enraged Paul further. Did everyone think he was a nut-job? If that's what they thought, he'd prove them right. Ignoring Jared's yells at Seth to cut him off, Paul raced through the trees, picking up Embry's scent halfway and following it. He had phased out and headed back to town, but he had phased back now, and he wasn't far away. Without thinking, Paul growled and leapt at him as soon as he came in sight. Embry tried to dodge, but Paul was faster. He knocked them both into a tree. Ignoring the throbbing in his shoulder as it made contact with the bark, he pushed Embry onto the ground and wrestled with him, snapping and snarling every time he tried to get away. At first, Embry fought back; he snarled right back and tried to claw at Paul's face. But Paul was relentless. When Embry finally gave up, Paul pinned him onto his back and snapped at him again, baring his teeth in a deadly growl. _"Don't ever try to tell me what I can and can't do, kid," _he snarled as he pushed himself off. Embry whimpered, not answering, and limped off into the trees. Leah appeared just then. Even in wolf form, she looked pissed.

_"You're such an asshole," _she snarled. _"He's a kid and he's watching out for his friend, _your _imprint, and you just proved him right by attacking him!"_

Paul snarled back, not bothering to answer her. She gave him another venomous look and ran back into the forest after Embry.


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, I give up," Serena sighed and leaned against the counter, causing Emily to look up at her curiously from the dishes she was washing. "What was today about?"

"What do you mean?" and just like everyone had been doing all night, Emily avoided her eye and continued to clean.

Serena frowned. "I mean, why was everyone acting like they were at a funeral? And why did Embry look like someone tried to give him a black eye?"

Emily bit her lip. "Its nothing, Serena. The boys get into fights all the time."

"Someone fought with _Embry_? He's a kid!"

Emily cracked a smile. "Hardly."

"Well, I know he doesn't _look_ it but honestly, the kid is barely sixteen!" said Serena exasperatedly.

"I'm sure he did something to deserve it. He's young. The older ones sometimes have to keep them in check," Emily bit her lip as she spoke, and Serena could tell she didn't believe what she was saying.

She frowned. "Who fought with him? No one was really talking to anyone today. I barely got Paul to say two words to me even though him and Leah were with me the whole time," Emily fumbled with her plate as Serena spoke, hastily placing it on the sink and turning to look at her with a guilt-ridden face. Serena's mouth fell open. "_Paul _tried to beat up _Embry_?" Emily's face was confirmation enough. Serena' bit her lip and exited the kitchen, stuffing her feet into her sneakers on her way out the door. Her bandage was off and she had been too distracted with everyone's attitude in the afternoon to remind Paul of his promise to take her to the cliffs. Ignoring Emily's yells at her to come back, she fished her phone out of her back pocket and sent Paul a quick text. _Where can I find you?_

Once she was sufficiently far away from Emily's house, Serena paused on the side of the road and took a deep breath. She had no idea what she was doing, but the need to talk to Paul was overwhelming. She didn't know him well, but the thought of him beating up someone as harmless as Embry made her uncomfortable. He would have a good reason for it, she was sure. Ignoring the nagging voice in the back of her head that demanded to know what exactly she would consider as a good enough reason for his actions, she tapped her fingers against her thigh impatiently. As her phone buzzed, she prayed he was nearby.

_The garage._

His short reply made her uneasy. She knew where the garage was. Paul's dad owned it, fixing up cars that he bought from around the state and then selling them once they were in good condition. The boys usually helped out there, and Serena had heard Emily mention that Paul would probably take over soon. She had thought Jacob was the only mechanic in the group, but he had told her, grudgingly, that Paul and Sam had taught him almost everything he knew.

Serena quickened her pace, opting against cutting through the forest as a short-cut. The garage was only ten minutes away from Sam and Emily's house, but she made it in five at a steady jog. When she reached, she hung back, a little awkwardly. The garage door was shut, which meant she would have to go through the office if she wanted to get inside. She wondered if Paul even wanted to see her, and was debating the likelihood of her rash plan succeeding without a yelling match when the door to the office opened and a middle aged man exited. He saw her immediately.

"Can I help you?" he came closer, readjusting his glasses as he peered at her. It was dark now.

Serena tucked her hair behind her ear nervously. She had never seen this man before, but it was safe to assume it was Paul's father. "I'm Serena," she gave a small smile. "I'm looking for Paul. He told me he was here."

Mr. Lahote's eyes, the same colour as his son's, only milder, widened, and he returned her smile, a little brighter than she expected. "Of course. You're staying with Sam and Emily, right?" Serena nodded. He gestured for her to follow him. "I'm Paul's father. He's inside just finishing up. Did you walk here?"

Serena nodded again as she followed him into the cramped but clean room that served as an office. It was full of filing cabinets. She watched Mr. Lahote place the folder he had been holding on a desk shoved in the corner. The single picture frame on it held the smiling face of a little boy and an attractive woman in her twenties, both smiling widely with identical, mischievous grins.

"I'm surprised you didn't get lost," said Paul's father pleasantly. He leaned back against his desk. "It's a tricky path."

Serena shrugged. "I don't really get out much unless Sam or one of the guys comes with me. They brought me here a few times, but no one was home today," her eyes flickered to the picture again, and Dave noticed.

He smiled. "My late wife, and Paul," he answered her unspoken question and picked up the frame, looking at it fondly. "Paul was a happy kid. A little loud, but happy," he chuckled fondly and ran a hand through his hair, mimicking Paul's nervous habit. "Paul never talks much, but he was devastated when she died. He's fixed up three cars by himself since then. He's inside now, getting started on the fourth," he smiled sadly. "I want to help, but I'm not sure how."

Serena bit her lip. "Sometimes its best to let people grieve in their own way," she offered weakly. "When my dad died, my sister started cooking and sending baskets of food to all his clients. He was a lawyer," she smiled a little at her hazy memories of Sunday morning and pancakes, the only time she saw her father without a suit on. "My mom thought it was weird and so did I, but she said those people made her feel like she had a connection with him even after he was gone. She still sends them stuff every holiday."

"I'm sorry about your father," said Mr. Lahote sympathetically. Serena smiled and ducked her head, pretending to be very interested in her worn sneakers. "But you have a point. Paul's mom loved cars. She couldn't fix them, but her dad's busted up truck is the reason we met. I suppose this is Paul's way of grieving."

"He'll be okay, Mr. Lahote, don't worry," feeling slightly out of place, Serena nervously wrapped her fingers around a loose lock of hair. "It just takes time."

"Dave, please," he smiled. "Well, I know you walked here, and there's nothing much to be afraid of these days, but you tell Paul to drive you home anyway," he gestured to the back door that led to the garage. "Tell him to lock up when you kids are done."

"Sure. Nice meeting you, sir."

"Dave," he corrected her again. He smiled and patted her shoulder. "You too, Serena."

Serena waited until the door closed behind him before bending down and examining the picture closely. She had never seen him look this happy. It made her feel sad. She bit her lip and turned back. The door at the back of the room looked harmless, but Serena couldn't shake the ominous feeling that took over her as she rested her hand on the knob. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open quietly. The garage was brightly lit, as always, but there was a pair of legs sticking out from underneath only one car, which, judging from the swearing she heard, she assumed to be Paul. She walked up to him quickly, and sat down on the floor next to the car, Indian style. Smirking slightly, she reached for her phone and tapped out a quick text.

_I got run over by a car._

She heard his phone beep, surprisingly from under the car next to him. He grunted and swore again, then obviously read it and almost threw the car off of him in his desire to get out from under it. When he finally got free, his eyes were wild. Serena blinked, and coughed pointedly to get his attention. She kept her eyes fixed on his face: he wasn't wearing a shirt. Again.

He doesn't speak, merely stared at her. Serena bit her lip. "Hi?" she offered.

He let out a sigh of relief and leaned back against the truck he had been fixing. He was sweating slightly. Serena's mouth went dry, but she determinedly kept her eyes locked on his face, resolving to have a peek once he wouldn't catch her staring. "You freaked me out," he said finally.

"Yeah, well, obviously, the quickest way to get your attention without threatening the safety of your dad's garage is to just speak, not joke around."

Paul grinned a little. "Obviously," he agreed. Then he frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Visiting," she shrugged. Paul raised his eyebrows. Serena avoided his eyes. "I, uh, I can walk now," she gestured to her feet lamely.

Paul smiled. "Yeah. I noticed today."

"But you didn't say anything," said Serena. She blew a loose strand of hair out of her face. "That's kind of why I'm here."

"What happened?" asked Paul. His voice was full of concern.

Serena shook her head immediately. "Oh, nothing's wrong. Everything's fine. With me, that is. How about you?" she spoke fast. Too fast. Her eyes were wandering. How could a twenty year old have _such _a perfect body?

Paul frowned in confusion. "What's wrong?" when she didn't answer, keeping her eyes on her feet, he stood up and tilted her chin upwards so he could look into her eyes. "Talk to me. What's bugging you?"

"Did you beat up Embry?" blurted out Serena. Her eyes widened with the realization of what she had said. So much for tact.

Paul froze, dropping his hand from her face and taking a step back. His hands were balled into fists. He was shaking slightly, probably from anger. But his voice was deathly calm, despite the clenched teeth. "Who told you that?"

"Did you?" insisted Serena. He closed his eyes and stormed away from her, causing her to automatically follow him. He ducked behind one of the cars that were on a raised platform, disappearing from view. Serena frowned and followed him. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the worn metal of the car. His eyes remained closed as he continued to shake slightly. His breathing was harsh. "Hey," she tried to make her voice gentler. "Paul?' he didn't answer. Hesitantly, she placed a timid hand on his warm bicep. "Listen, I know its not my place, but I just…" she trailed off and sighed, trying to explain her scattered thoughts. "You're a good guy, Paul, and when Emily accidentally mentioned that you beat up Embry, I was just surprised. She told me you would have a good reason for it, though. I just want to know. Just talk to me?"

He didn't answer her immediately. It wasn't until he stopped shaking and Serena saw the tense muscle in his jaw release that she realized his eyes were open. He still looked angry, but the expression in his eyes was curious. "You're not scared of me," it wasn't a question.

Serena frowned. "Why would I be?"

Paul ran a hand through his hair. "I get angry a lot," he said lamely, by way of explanation. Serena giggled. His lips twitched. "What's so funny?"

"You are," she giggled again. "What do you think you are, the big bad wolf?" she snickered again, not noticing his look of horror at her choice of words. "_Scared_ of you, honestly," she snorted. "You're not _scary_, Paul. You're just big and you look like you could crush me if you wanted to. But you're not scary."

"I would never do that," his answer was immediate, automatic, as if the very thought was impossible to entertain. Serena stopped laughing and looked up at him, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, no longer teasing. He _was _huge, but nothing about him seemed dangerous to her. He wasn't a cuddly person, of course, but Serena couldn't imagine him hurting her, even though she was sure at first glance many people assumed that he would rip their heads off if they annoyed him. She probably annoyed him too, but he had a way of making her feel like every word she said was important, and he seemed to enjoy listening to her. His gaze was earnest as he continued to look at her, but intense. She wanted to lean back, but she didn't want to break eye contact: she suddenly felt light-headed and the thought of fainting because she thought Paul was too good-looking while he was in front of her made her want to die of embarrassment.

Serena blinked, realizing that while she had been staring, he had come closer to her. She could kiss him if she wanted to, and she _really _wanted to, but the thought of him rejecting her was surprisingly more painful than she had expected. So she politely kept her eyes trained on his face, ignoring the way her heart skipped a beat when he reached out a hand and brushed back the strand of hair that was refusing to stay in place inside her bun. "I would never hurt you," he sounded like he was trying to reassure her and himself, but Serena didn't need reassuring. Gentleness coming from someone Paul's size might have been humorous to some, but it made her heart soar. She knew she was blushing, but she couldn't help it. His hand travelled further, his fingers hooking around her hair elastic and tugging at it until her hair was free. His words from the beach echoed back at her. _Don't tie your hair_. She was sure she was red as a tomato now. Ignoring her fluttering heart, she focused on what he was saying. "And I apologized to Embry today after we left Sam and Emily's. I'm not a complete monster," he winked to diffuse the tension, but Serena detected a hint of bitterness and truth in his statement that made her frown.

"You're not a monster at all," she said firmly. His eyes looked sad, as if he knew something she didn't and was sorry that she was so ignorant. It irked her. "So, you have a temper, big deal," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest. "So does my sister. We don't have any fine china in the house because she breaks whatever she gets her hands on when someone pisses her off. But just because you can't control your anger, and just because everyone _knows _that about you, doesn't mean you take advantage of it," she poked him in the chest with her index finger for good measure. "And you took advantage of it when you beat up Embry. That's not nice."

"Its not," agreed Paul. He sounded a little amused, but Serena was glad that the sad look was gone from his eyes.

"So, logically, you need to do something to fix your mistake so karma doesn't come and bite you in the ass," said Serena matter-of-factly. She knew she was ranting a little bit, but Paul had been amused the last time she had done it, and she preferred his deep, rumbling laugh to the pain that haunted his eyes sometimes.

"I apologized," he pointed out.

"Doesn't count. You need to do something nice for _me._" Paul looked confused. He ran a hand through his hair again and Serena resisted the urge to touch it herself. Preferably while kissing him. Ignoring her thoughts, she rolled her eyes and explained patiently, "You guys were all so quiet and boring today, and I didn't get to take any pictures. You and Leah just sat and glared at each other the whole time, so I'm guessing she's Team Embry. Since I'm not taking sides, you need to do something nice for me as a thank you."

Paul chuckled at that, but quickly stopped when he saw Serena's serious expression. Biting his tongue to keep his laughter in check, he nodded. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

_Kiss me. _"You promised to take me to that cove so I could work on my project. I was going to let you off the hook, but now I think you need the time away from people who will prompt you to hand out black eyes. Also, I'm pretty sure you'd never beat me up, so you're safest with me," she grinned. "Tomorrow?"

Did his eyes just sparkle, or was he just excited at the prospect of getting a day off work? "Tomorrow is great," he said, returning her grin. "But I thought I was supposed to do something for you? I already said I'd take you, you're cashing in a favour that you could use for later."

Serena nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. But keeping you away from beating up the rest of the guys means I'm doing you _another_ favour. So, two favours?"

Paul snorted. "Don't push your luck."

Serena huffed. "_Fine_, one favour but you're driving tomorrow."

"My pleasure," he smiled, then suddenly glanced around in confusion. "Did you walk here?"

"Duh. I don't have my car here."

"Its dark now. I'll drive you back. Emily is going to worry."

"She knows I'm with you," Serena shrugged, but obediently followed him as he swiped a set of keys from the stand near the door, closing it and locking it with one of them. Serena frowned. "Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you going to put a shirt on?"

Paul glanced down at his bare chest in mild surprise. "Oh, yeah, I forgot. Wait here," he tossed her the keys and went back into the garage, grabbing a shirt from near the car he had been working on and coming back. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." _I enjoyed the view._

They walked in silence out of the garage, and Paul headed towards an old, but well-kept black truck parked a little away from the building. He held open the passenger door for her, causing Serena to smile. He grinned back and shut the door, sitting in the driver's seat a few seconds later. The drive was pleasant, but mostly silent. Serena was warding off a panicking Emily's hysteria by texting her every minute, and Paul was either concentrating on the door or discreetly staring at her every time she wouldn't notice. When he finally pulled up at the house a few minutes later, Serena groaned.

"If you call me tomorrow and I don't pick up, feel free to assume that Emily has murdered me," she leaned her head back against the seat and jumped as her phone vibrated again. At Paul's raised eyebrow, she merely said, "Emily," to which he nodded understandingly.

"Em's amazing, but she's…" he trailed off, trying to surpress a grin.

Serena waved away his words, her face understating. Her phone buzzed again and she glared at the offending device, catching Paul's eye and miming clawing her eyes out, causing him to laugh. She smiled, then sighed. "I better go in before she loses it. Thanks for the lift, Paul."

"No problem," Paul tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his stomach as she turned away from him. "What time should I get you tomorrow?" he asked quickly, desperate to get one last look at her face.

It worked. Serena turned back and smiled. "Ten sounds perfect. Do I still get coffee?"

"Sure," he returned her smile. "I'll be here bright and early."

Serena suddenly became shy, tucking her now open hair behind her ear and hesitantly opening the car door. She was halfway out before, on impulse, she turned back and spoke. "Hey, Paul?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I met you," even in the dark, she could see the large smile that suddenly came over his face at her words. "Good night," she added, blushing and clambering out of the car quickly, thankful she hadn't tripped on her way out.

The next day, she didn't realize a silver wolf had lain outside her bedroom window until sunrise.


	8. Chapter 8

"How's your ankle?"

Serena didn't break stride as she headed out the door. "Great!" she called back at Sam. "Don't wait up!"

"Hold it!" Serena froze, one foot out the door, cursing her luck. She threw a quick, apologetic smile, to the waiting car outside and turned back, shutting the door behind her. Sam had stood up from the dining table, arms crossed over his chest. He was frowning.

"Where are you going?"

Serena sighed and hitched her bag further up her shoulder. "To the cliffs."

"The cliffs?"

"The cliffs."

"Why?"

"To take pictures of all the dangerous carnivorous animals I'm going to see on my way there," she deadpanned. Sam's eyes widened in horror. Serena's lips twitched. "Geez, Sam, I'm kidding. It's for my photography project. Remember, that's why I've taken over your guest room?"

"Right," Sam blinked hurriedly. "Of course. But you can't go into the woods alone. Hang around a bit, I'll take you."

Serena felt her cheeks grow warm. "Oh, umm, you don't have to do that."

"What do you mean? You're not a local. You'll get lo-"

"Paul's taking me," she explained hurriedly. Sam's lips twitched and it was his turn to smirk at her flurried expression. "He, umm, he offered to show me around, umm, you know, the forest, umm, and Emily said she was okay with it and I just…" she trailed off when she saw the look on Sam's face. "You knew!" she shrieked. Sam barked out a laugh and leaned against the doorway of the kitchen, chuckling at her expression.

"Of course I knew," he laughed. "Paul told us last night. Embry and Seth wanted to come too but I think Paul scared them off."

Serena's blush deepened. "Its not like it's a date," she ran a hand through her hair, biting her lip. "I didn't mean it like _that._"

Sam grinned. "Embry and Seth will probably just annoy you anyway. Paul's very familiar with the area, and I wouldn't let you go with him if I thought he wouldn't keep you safe."

Serena smiled a little. "Yeah," she tucked her hair behind her ear and shyly avoided Sam's expression. She looked up to him like a big brother, since she had never had one, and she knew he felt the same way. But his knowing stare and the laugh that was threatening to break through his amused expression were making her blush more than she wanted to. Sure, she liked Paul, but she didn't want Sam to know that.

"Well, you should probably get going," said Sam finally. "Shouldn't keep Paul waiting for too long, he might think you chickened out."

Serena, knowing she was being teased, glared at Sam for a minute before opening the door and slipping out, ignoring his deep chuckle.

Paul was waiting in the driveway in his car. The windows were rolled down to let in the cool breeze and as Serena opened the door and sat in the passenger seat, she spotted what she had been craving all morning: coffee.

"Hey," Paul's deep voice sounded amused as Serena reached eagerly for the larger container. He grinned at her expression once she took a sip.

"You know how I like my coffee?" asked Serena in surprise.

Paul chuckled. "I'm not a stalker, I promise. Emily filled me in. I didn't realize you had a sweet tooth."

"I do," confessed Serena. Her shyness had ebbed away by now, and Paul's grin was contagious. She smiled back as he pulled away from the house. "So, Mr. Tour Guide, where are we off to first?"

"Well, you said your ankle was fine, but Sam warned me that you're dead clumsy," he chuckled at her scowl. "So I thought we'd stick to the main trails today. You won't find any bears or lions, but there are deer everywhere and the scenery is nice too. The caves are about an hour or two up, which is why I said we should leave early so we aren't stuck there when it gets dark."

"Perfect," Serena leaned back in her seat and inhaled the fresh air. "It's a really nice day, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's pretty good weather for this time of the year."

Serena nodded absently and took out her camera from its bag on her lap. Her cell phone buzzed and she balanced the camera in one hand as she sifted through her pocket for the device. It was a text from Emily.

_I thought I had veto power on all your outfits for any date you ever went on?_

Serena bit her lip and willed her cheeks to return to their normal colour. If Paul noticed, he didn't respond. She quickly glanced at her outfit, internally shrugging at her choice. She was in a plain blue t-shirt, a pair of worn out denim shorts that were long enough to remain decent but short enough to highlight her lean legs and her favourite pair of sneakers. Her hair was open and extra fluffy, but she knew the incoming heat would make her tie them up in a while. Frowning at her phone, she typed out a reply to Emily.

_This isn't a date. He's just being nice. Go away._

_Of course it's a date. I had to physically restrain Embry and Seth just now to make sure it becomes a date._

_Emily!_

_Have fun! Xx_

Serena stuffed her phone back into her pocket and took a deep breath. Sam and Emily just never gave up…

"You okay?" Paul's concerned voice reminded her where she was.

"Yeah," she gave him a smile. "Sorry. It was Emily, she was-"

"-insisting that this is a date?" his lips twitched, but he didn't look at her.

Serena's eyes widened. "Did you-"

"Not me, Sam," said Paul hastily. Serena nodded, her shyness creeping back. "They're been going on about you for weeks, ever since we missed each other at the wedding."

"Oh yeah," Serena tucked her hair behind her ear. "You weren't there either."

"I was with my mom," he said simply. Serena smiled sympathetically and he smiled back a little. "When I got back the first thing Emily did was tell me you were pretty. You weren't in any of the pictures though so I didn't really believe her."

"I was attending a photography seminar in Seattle and my mom wouldn't let me miss it for the wedding. But I did Emily's whole bridal shoot when she came up a week before for her bridal shower and dress fitting."

Paul looked impressed. "You should make a career out of that."

Serena giggled. "I would, but I'm not _that _good. Plus, my mom doesn't really approve. She likes art to stay a hobby. My sister's a really good painter, but she's studying journalism in school."

"But aren't you doing photography?" Paul looked confused.

Serena shook her head smilingly. Paul wasn't the first person to be confused about her career choices. "No. I finished high school early and went to college for a year, but I dropped out when my dad died. My mom didn't want me to waste a year so I ended up taking some courses online in photography. That's what my project is about. I'll be done when its over and then I'll probably head back to school next year."

Paul raised his eyebrows. "You seem like the artsy type. What are you studying?"

"Guess," Serena giggled at his frown of concentration. "Sam almost didn't believe me when he found out."

"Is it that bad?"

"I'm not training to join a gang," Serena laughed. "I go to med school."

"You're a doctor?" even to his own ears, Paul's voice sounded stupid.

"Not yet," Serena smiled, helping him believe that maybe he wasn't as stupid as he felt. "I only did a year, then I dropped out because of what happened. But I can make it back next year, hopefully."

"Have you always wanted to be a doctor?"

Serena blinked, his question taking her by surprise. Why was he so interested in her? "Not really," she confessed. "My dad was a lawyer and my mom is a vet. I wanted to be a chef," she snorted. "But my dad wanted a doctor in the family, and my sister is too squeamish."

"He must have been really happy when you decided to do it."

"Yeah," she took a deep breath. Paul's silence told her he wanted her to keep speaking. "He died halfway through my second semester, I haven't been back since." Serena kept her gaze focused on the window on her right side, trying to banish the tears that burned her eyes. She almost jumped when she felt a warm hand close over her clenched fist. Paul didn't say anything, didn't even look away from the road, but his grip was reassuring, and Serena was grateful: she hated false sympathy, and even though she was sure Paul could understand her grief better than anyone else, she didn't want to dampen the mood.

The ride was quiet after that, but he didn't let go of her hand. Somewhere between Paul's quiet observations about the scenery and Serena fiddling with the radio, she had flipped her hand over so their fingers were entwined, and she had to admit the comfort she derived from the feeling of his fingers between hers was something she had never experienced before. When the car finally stopped, he let go of her and helped her out of the car, carrying her backpack wordlessly, only winking at her when she playfully punched his arm.

Serena was a terrible hiker, but the distance didn't seem to matter with Paul next to her. He was unbelievably patient, stopping every time she hung back to take a picture of a particular plant and grabbing her elbow gently before she was even aware of tripping. Half the time his hand hovered near the small of her back, making sure she didn't slip on the slightly damp ground. They kept up a steady, interesting conversation. Paul seemed interested in why she wanted to be a doctor, and soon confessed it was because he still had no idea what to do with himself. He was only a year older than her and he should have been in college by now, but his dad had agreed to let him take some time off if he helped around with the shop, and his talent for fixing cars was making him consider if he wanted to stay and take over the business or go out and make something for himself. Serena could sense that there was something else, a more pressing reason why he didn't want to leave the Rez, but she could tell he didn't want to talk about anything he hadn't told her himself, so she didn't push it.

"This place is really quiet," said Serena suddenly. Paul looked up from his phone, which had buzzed a few moments ago, and frowned at her observation. They were in a small clearing halfway towards the caves that she had planned to see, but she knew almost as soon as they had started walking they would have to come back another day since the journey itself was so beautiful that she found herself photographing everything. She had been zooming in on a particular flower when she had realized that the lack of noise was uncanny in a wood this far from the town. Paul seemed to realize the same thing, because he rested a hand on her shoulder and tugged her up so she was standing next to him.

"Yeah," he pocketed his phone and turned to face her, grinning a little. "Not that there's anything to be afraid of but you should probably-"

"-stay close?" Serena finished his sentence for him and willingly inched closer, smiling and tugging at her braid nervously. "Don't worry, I'm okay with chauvinism. If I bear comes this way, he can totally eat you first."

"If a bear comes this way, he won't touch you," promised Paul. "Even if he has to eat me first. I'm pretty big. Who knows, he might be full after me."

Serena giggled, unsure if he was joking or serious. His tone was light, but his eyes were narrowed as they searched the trees for something Serena couldn't see. Suddenly, his whole body stiffened and he reached out a hand, pulling Serena behind him. At that instant, Jacob Black stumbled out of the woods and into the clearing.

Serena sighed in relief, not noticing that Paul's stiff form hadn't moved an inch. "Hey, Jake. We thought you were a bear."

"Serena?" Jacob looked almost horrified to see her. "I didn't know-"

"Jacob?" a musical voice sounded from behind him, and Serena saw the two boys exchange looks, Jacob's of panic and Paul's of pure fury. Serena inched out from under Paul's arm and her eyes widened at the people who entered the clearing.

A little girl bounded forwards and climbed onto Jacob's back, half agility and half grace. She buried her face into his neck as soon as she made eye-contact with Serena, as if she was shy. Behind her, the woman whose arms she had jumped out of and who had obviously called for Jacob blinked at what she saw. The man next to her didn't look as lost. Serena thought he was smirking.

_What is in the water around here? Even the pale faces are gorgeous?_

"Hello," the pale woman's voice sounded like bells and tinkling glasses. Her hair was waist length and brown, pulled back in a high ponytail. Her eyes were a strange amber colour, and her perfect lips were pulled back in a smile over a set of perfect teeth. She was dressed similar to Serena, in hiking attire, except she and the man next to her looked like they had just stepped out of a commercial for some high-profile brand.

"Hi," Serena squeaked. They were both painfully gorgeous, but polite enough to simply smile and ignore her gawking.

"Serena, these are the Cullens," said Jacob quickly. He swung the little girl off his back and set her down on the ground next to him. "Bella and Edward, and their niece, Nessie."

"Renesmee," corrected Bella exasperatedly.

Jacob ignored her. "Guys, this is Serena Wilder. She's staying with Sam and Emily. And you guys know Paul."

"Of course. Hello again, Paul," Bella smiled at Paul, who merely nodded stiffly. Serena frowned up at him, aware that he was ignoring her and focusing on glaring at Jacob. Shrugging out from under his arm, Serena approached the ridiculously good looking family and knelt down in front of the little girl.

"Hi," she smiled at her. "I'm Serena. You have a very pretty name."

"Thank you," even the child's voice was perfect. She didn't look older than ten, with pretty brown eyes and bronze curls that were neatly pulled back into a ponytail like her aunt. "You're really pretty."

"Pretty sure you've got me beat there," Serena grinned and Nessie grinned back, shyly accepting the hand Serena held out to her. "Please ignore the fuming Quilete behind me, he thought you were a bear," said Serena, standing up and facing Bella and Edward. "I haven't seen you guys around before," she held out her hand and Bella shook it first, then Edward. Their grips were firm, but their hands were freezing. Serena politely pretended she hadn't noticed.

"Its nice to meet you, Serena," Edward spoke this time. His voice quite literally made her breath hitch. He had the same hair as his niece, and his eyes were oddly the same colour as his wife's. Nevertheless, Serena had to stop herself from fainting. He smiled at her, and it was beautifully crooked. Serena blinked and smiled back, quickly realizing that Bella was married to Edward and obviously they were very happy together since they hadn't let go of each other's hands since they had entered the clearing. "Jacob has wonderful things to say about you," he continued speaking as if he hadn't noticed her blatant staring. He obviously had. So they were nice too.

"He better," Serena tore her eyes away from the super-couple glared at Jacob playfully. "I've been feeding these boys since Emily semi-retired from her kitchen."

Jacob held up his hands in surrender. "Bella cooks too, she knows how you feel," he said.

Bella rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "Its true. They're absolute pigs."

"I agree completely," Serena nodded. "So, were you guys out hiking too?"

They both nodded. "Nessie insisted on bringing Jacob, and we both like the exercise," said Bella. "We live in Forks. Jacob mentioned you were here doing a project?"

"I am," Serena smiled. "I'm actually a med student but I love photography so I figured, why not? This side of Washington is beautiful."

Edward nodded, but Bella grimaced. "Its too wet," she explained at Serena's questioning look.

"Bella grew up in Arizona," explained Edward. He wrapped an arm around his wife and gave her an adoring look. "She enjoys explaining the beauty of the desert."

"Just as much as you enjoy staring at me," laughed Bella. She rested her head against her husband's arm and smiled at Serena. "Carlisle, Edward's father, is a doctor too. He loves his work."

Serena shrugged, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear shyly. "My dad wanted me to be a doctor. I'm a bit of a free spirit, but I like it so far."

Bella smiled at her again. Serena couldn't help but feel completely at ease with this family, despite the fact that a small part of her brain was telling her to take a few steps back and hide behind Paul. She ignored it. Her instincts had never been particularly impressive.

Edward broke the silence that threatened to engulf them suddenly. "It was very nice meeting you, Serena, but we don't want to keep you. We were just passing through."

"Oh, its no problem," Serena trailed off as a quick glance behind her showed that Paul was gone. She frowned. Jacob noticed.

"He got a call from Sam," he explained. "He'll be back in a second."

"You don't come down to Forks often?" asked Bella. Serena thought she spoke a little too fast, as if hastily trying to distract her, but she ignored her feelings.

"Nah. I only came once with Seth and Leah to visit his mom."

"Oh, then you've met my father."

"Chief Swan's your dad?" Bella looked nothing like her father, but Serena didn't want to point that out. "Yeah, I have. He's really nice. So _you're _Isabella."

Bella grimaced again. "He still hasn't given up calling me that, has he?"

"Nope," Serena laughed.

"Next time you're in Forks, come see us," invited Bella. "Jacob can show you the way. The rest of our family would love to meet you."

"Yes, please come," the request came from Nessie, who tugged at Serena's hand. Serena looked down and almost agreed instantaneously at the child's adorable smile.

"Can't say no to that," she said, grinning.

Bella laughed. "Isn't she adorable? It was really nice meeting you, Serena, but we should probably head on if we want to make it back before its dark."

"You and me both," Serena glanced at the sky and bit her lip.

Jacob noticed. "Bella, Edward, you guys go on. Nessie and I will join you when Paul gets back."

Edward nodded, smiled at Serena, and tugged on Bella's hand. His wife gave Serena a brilliant smile, threw a quick, "It was lovely meeting you!" over her shoulder, and they were both gone.

Serena sat down on the ground, Indian style, willing to wait for Paul to show up. She knew of the Cullens and she knew they belonged to a family that traditionally did not get along with the Quiletes, but the details were fuzzy. And anyway, she didn't care. They seemed perfectly nice. Even as she watched, Jacob settled on the ground next to her and Nessie danced from one corner of the clearing to the other, staring at flowers and calling out their names excitedly to Jacob, who responded just as excitedly. Serena smiled, absently wondering if all the Quiletes were this good with children or if it was only Jacob and Quil.

Suddenly, Nessie stopped moving and ran to Jacob. Serena looked up to see Paul entering the clearing, his expression wary. Jacob stood up as soon as he entered, grabbing Nessie's hand and throwing a quick goodbye over his shoulder to Serena. She waved at him and smiled at Nessie, and then they were gone. She turned to look at Paul and frowned. "Are you okay?"

He didn't look okay. He sat down next to her and tilted her face towards him, examining her critically and almost desperately. "Are you okay?" his voice was hoarse.

Serena blinked and grabbed the hand that held her face, squeezing it gently. "Of course I'm okay," she automatically rubbed soothing circles into the back of Paul's hand with her thumb, not understanding the look of pain in his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Paul didn't answer her. He merely closed his eyes and leaned his head back, resting it against a tree trunk. He didn't let go of her hand, but slight tremors shook his body, and Serena automatically gripped his hand tighter. Paul's temper was something she was acquainted with now, and even though she was slightly wary, after last night she didn't want to edge away and make him feel like she was afraid of him. She wasn't. The idea of him hurting her was laughable.

"You don't like the Cullens," Serena made sure it sounded like a statement, not a question.

Paul didn't open his eyes, but grunted. "They're weird."

"All pale-faces are weird," said Serena. Paul snorted. Serena smiled and tugged at his hand. "Hey, look at me," grudgingly, he opened his eyes. "Its not just dislike, is it?" he didn't answer her, but he didn't need to. Something in his eyes not only confirmed her thoughts, but also communicated his desire to leave the matter alone. "Well, if I ever babysit Nessie I'll make sure her family isn't around then."

Paul laughed. "She's a cute kid, though. Jake's her favourite."

"I could tell. Its adorable."

"Jake and Bella used to be real close before she got married. Now he's almost part of their family."

"Hey," Serena nudged him slightly, noting the slight bitterness that had crept into his voice. "Jake's still a part of _your_ family too."

Paul smiled, but didn't answer. He stood up, dragging Serena with him. "You want to head home or continue up?" he asked. He held her hand in an almost absent way, and Serena ignored the way her heart thrilled at it.

"We should head back," she said. "It getting dark and I don't want Emily panicking."

"She'll be so happy once you tell her we have to come back here soon so you can see the caves," chuckled Paul.

Serena snorted. "That sounds like her. I don't know how she and my sister are so close, they're complete opposites. My sister couldn't care less about my personal life."

"Emily always struck me as more of a mom than a sister anyway," Paul smiled, almost fondly. He was obviously close to her.

Serena giggled as she followed Paul out of the clearing. They reached the trail that led back to where Paul had parked his car and started walking. "Emily is _nothing _compared to my mom. She's overprotective, loud, a great cook and she spends her free time knitting. Classic mother hen."

Paul laughed at that, no doubt imaging what everyone did when Serena described her mother. "She sounds nice."

"She's nice. She'll like you. She _loved_ all the boys and they all loved her, but I think that's because she took over Emily's kitchen while the wedding was happening and Mama Wilder trumps us all in the food department."

Paul took her backpack and camera from her, ignoring her huff. "That's hard to believe."

"Believe it," assured Serena. Paul chuckled again. Serena bit her lip, willing her shyness to remain dormant as she voiced her next question. "You said Sam and Emily went on about me before you met me?" he nodded. "What did they say?"

"The usual," Paul shrugged. "I kept telling them I wasn't going to let them set me up, Emily's been trying for over a year now," Serena smiled, ignoring the way her heart faltered at his words. However, his next words made her blush, for the first time _not _out of embarrassment. "And anyway, if I was going to ask you out so soon, I wouldn't have let Sam organize it."

Serena's heart almost stopped beating. "So soon?" she quoted. "Are you saying you plan to ask me out some time in the future?"

Paul shrugged again. "Would you say yes if I did?" he threw back at her.

The conversation had taken a turn towards an area Serena wasn't sure she was comfortable with, but she found herself recklessly replying anyway. "Depends," she said, pretending to be thoughtful. "Will you be wearing a shirt when you ask?"

Paul laughed loudly at that, and Serena giggled. "Glad to know my lack of clothes is the defining factor here."

"Oh, there are others too," Serena assured him.

"Like what?" asked Paul, still smiling.

"Well, if there's coffee involved the chances of me saying yes go up at least twenty percent, but with or without any devices that will meddle with my judgement, your chances are still at a solid ninety five perfect so I'd say you're good."

"Only ninety five?" Paul pouted. "What are my chances without a shirt on?"

"Two hundred, but I've seen you without one for an extended period of time a little over twenty four hours ago so you'll have to wait until I'm craving shirtless Paul again," Serena made her voice sound as serious as she could.

"What's my estimated time limit then?" Paul wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Serena laughed and swatted his arm. Paul chuckled, but didn't say anything. They walked back faster this time, Paul's grip on her hand ensuring that she wouldn't be in danger of hurting herself. The journey was quiet, mostly broken by Paul pointing out a certain trail or a certain area that he told her he could take her to next time if she wanted. Serena tried to be less enthusiastic in her responses, but she knew he could feel her excitement. She loved nature, and she loved photography and when the opportunity came to mix the two she hadn't been able to resist. Added to the fact that her tour guide made her heart flutter every time he looked at her, and she was sure she was in for the summer of a lifetime.


	9. Chapter 9

Paul continued with his patrol silently, registering in the back of his head the merging of Leah's mind with his own as Quil phased back into his human form. They ran in silence for a few minutes, and Paul couldn't help but roll over his day in his mind, giving Leah access to it. They weren't close, but she was close to Serena and seemed to be the only one who didn't take his shit, so he didn't mind showing her his thoughts.

Her reaction was just as expected. "_What the hell is wrong with Jacob?" _she almost snarled as she saw Serena shaking hands with Bella and Edward. _"He knows he's supposed to inform all of us before bringing those leeches out of Forks!"_

Paul was too tired to be angry anymore. He just wanted to go home and sleep, and being with Serena usually calmed him down much faster than ripping apart vampires. _"He told Sam. He didn't know we would be in the forest for that long."_

_"Were they hunting?" _demanded Leah.

_"Yeah."_

They ran quietly for a few minutes, Leah's mind digesting all the information Paul was giving her. When he got to the part about her father and med school, he hastily tried to change his direction of thought, but Leah had seen enough. Paul could almost see her smirk. _"Working your magic already, Lahote?"_

_"Shut up, Clearwater."_

_"Why? You gonna attack me like you hit Embry?" _Leah snorted. _"Don't give me your crap, Paul. Serena's my friend, and she deserves someone who treats her right. You're doing a good job so far, but don't screw this up."_

_"She's talked to you?"_

_"No, and even if she had I wouldn't tell you." _Paul grudgingly admitted that there was a good chance of that. Leah was uncannily good at hiding her thoughts from the other wolves.

_"I don't know how I'm going to tell her," _said Paul finally. _"I don't think she'd be able to handle it."_

_"Doesn't matter, idiot. You have to tell her."_

_"No shit, Leah."_

_"Don't become sentimental about it," _said Leah bluntly. _"Its something you have to do, and no amount of sugar-coating is going to make it easier. But you're not even dating her yet, so telling her shouldn't be a priority right now. She's not here for long, so you need to get moving."_

_"What am I supposed to do?" _Paul groaned and remembered the day in the garage, their conversation in the clearing… he had almost lost control near her, and it happened too many times since she didn't know what to expect, and her actions and words unknowingly provoked him. He couldn't blame her; it wasn't her fault he was keeping a secret this big from her, but the thought of any negative expression crossing her face when he told her made him want to claw his own eyes out.

Leah snorted at his monologue. _"Get a grip, Paul. She can't hate you. Imprints always fall for the wolves."_

_"Not everyone is Sam and Emily."_

_"No, but you're in a better place than Jared and Kim, and they're going to get married any day now," _Leah mentally rolled her eyes.

_"What if I hurt her?"_

Leah sighed. He had finally said what had been bothering him all along. They ran quietly as Leah pondered the best way to answer his question. She hadn't imprinted like most of the pack, and she was sure she wouldn't, but being exposed to the strong emotions of the wolves around her on a daily basis meant she could sympathise with Paul, to an extent. Sam's agony every time he looked at Emily's face was something she was sure none of them wanted to experience.

_"You won't hurt her," _she said finally. _"We've all learned from Sam's mistake. You're a little out of control, yeah, but Serena will fix that about you eventually. You're pretty controlled around her anyway."_

_"I won't be able to do it every time, Leah. I slip up once and I could seriously hurt her."_

_"Then get with her and tell her the truth so she knows the danger she's putting herself in." _Leah had been told she was too blunt, but the use of tact was wasted on these boys. They needed the facts, especially Paul, who needed a reality check more often than not. He hated being a wolf; that much was obvious. Leah doubted anyone else could see it, but she knew. She couldn't blame him. Serena was probably the best thing about being a werewolf to Paul. That, and killing vampires.

Paul phased back into his human form soon enough, but not before making his nightly round around Sam and Emily's house. Serena's light was still on, and he frowned. She hadn't been sleeping before 3 AM for days, and it bugged him. What was she doing up so late all the time? He couldn't ask her, she would think he was a stalker, and her room was too high up for him to peek through a window. He stayed outside for an hour, then ran back home and phased in the woods behind his house. The lights were on. His father was sitting at the kitchen table, reading a book.

"Evening, son," said Dave when Paul walked in. "All quiet on the western front?"

Paul snorted. His father had been making movie references in every conversation ever since he could remember. "Yeah, dad. Everything's good."

"Great," Dave went back to his book, accepting the plate of lasagne that Paul offered wordlessly. His father was rarely awake so late, but when he was it was usually because he wanted to spend time with Paul, and the only way to do that was over food.

Paul grabbed the rest of the container of lasagne and a plate of brownies that looked oddly familiar before settling onto the table next to his father. Not bothering with a microwave, he devoured the lasagne in seconds and moved to the brownies. Dave looked up at that point, and snagged one for himself. Paul almost swooned: they tasted amazing.

"Your friend Serena dropped these off this evening," said Dave casually. Paul choked on his brownie. "She said to tell you thank you for the trip today."

Paul stared at his father, his mouth open and crumbs falling out of it. Dave chuckled and patted his son on the back. "Nice work, Romeo. She's very pretty, by the way. And very sweet."

Paul swallowed quickly and nodded. "Yeah, she is."

Dave smirked at his son and stood up, snapping his book shut. "Well, at least text her, you idiot."

Paul scowled. "Dad, I'll pass on the dating advice."

Dave snorted. "You don't need my help in _that _department, boy. You need my help in the civilised eating department. Now, go get some sleep. Don't be up all night either," he warned. "I'll padlock the fridge."

Paul smirked. "I'll break the lock."

"I'll fix it out of your pay cheque," Paul's smile dropped. "Don't forget who's the boss around here, kiddo."

"Yeah, right, old man," Paul rolled his eyes. "Get to bed."

"You too," Dave smacked Paul upside the head playfully and exited the kitchen. Paul stood up, placed his dishes in the sink and picked up his phone off the counter where he'd left it. He wanted to call Serena, but he didn't want to sound too desperate. Then again, she _had _dropped off brownies for him. Maybe she had wanted to see him. Ignoring his misgivings, he quickly opened up a new message.

_P: Thanks for the brownies. Dad tried stealing some but I wouldn't let him. Your hands are magical._

_S: Well, well, aren't you a charmer? I made them for your dad too, be nice and share! _

_P: I'll try. You didn't have to, by the way._

_S: Consider it a thank you for tolerating me and the pale-faces today._

_P: Don't thank me. I had fun. _

_S: With the Cullens? Be still my heart!_

Paul snorted. She was a character even with words. He noticed that she had sent another text.

_S: Be that as it may, what are you doing up so late? You weren't home when I came by around 11. Did you just get back?_

Paul groaned. Of course she would notice. She was smart.

_P: Yeah. I work late at the shop._

_S: Your dad said you had gone for a walk._

"Stupid old man," muttered Paul.

_P: I told him that. He says I need to leave the cars alone sometimes._

_S: Aww. If I had a boyfriend who gave me as much attention as you give your cars, I'd marry him._

Paul froze for a second before registering the subtle flirting tone that was in the text. He knew she was attracted to him, but he had assumed he would have to make the first move. Didn't seem like it. He grinned as he answered her. Who knew winning over your soul-mate would be fun?

_P: You don't need to look for a boyfriend. I volunteer!_

_S: LOL. Really now? And what would the garage do without you?_

_P: No worries. I'm pretty sure I can stare at you instead of my car all day._

_S: Flatterer! Anyways I gotta run. I'm exhausting from all that tripping. I was uploading all the pictures and I just wanted to say THANK YOU for today!_

_P: I'm not flattering, its the truth. Any time, beautiful._

_S: I could get used to this kind of honesty ;) sweet dreams x_

Paul smiled and shut his phone, placing it on the counter and, grudgingly, beginning to wash the dishes that were piled in the sink. He normally wouldn't bother, but a smile was tugging at his lips as he replayed the day in his head. The Cullens had been an unexpected surprise and it had taken Sam Alpha-ordering him on the phone, plus Serena's innocent presence, to ensure he didn't phase right in front of her. He knew by now that she was suspicious, since he didn't display typical anger management behaviour that she was familiar with. Still, she wasn't scared of him. That was more than he could ever have hoped for.


	10. Chapter 10

"I hate your ring-tone," groaned Leah from the foot of Serena's bed. Serena merely rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone off the side-table, throwing a blanket over Leah's almost-unconscious form. She walked out of the room, biting her lip at the caller ID. Her mother was calling.

"Hey, mom," Serena sunk into the familiar sofa on Sam and Emily's porch, twirling a piece of hair around her fingers. "I would have called you myself, you know."

"Hello, baby girl," Vanessa Wilder's voice was like honey: rich, extra sweet and prone to giving Serena nosebleeds. "I just wanted to give you a surprise. What are you up to?"

"Nothing much. Leah just came over and went to sleep on my bed, and I'm helping Emily with lunch soon."

"Oh, good. I hope you're not giving them too much trouble, you clumsy fool. Emily called me almost hysterical when you fell."

Serena rolled her eyes. "It wasn't my fault, or hers. I was bound to fall down eventually."

"Hmm," her mother clicked her tongue disapprovingly, but didn't continue with the subject, for which Serena was grateful. "Well, I just wanted to check in and see how you were. UW sent us a letter today too, asking if you wanted to join classes again in the fall."

"Yes, mom, I know. They sent me an email."

"Well, I wrote back and said of course, and that I'd post your documents soon."

"You didn't have to do that, mom. I spoke to the Dean last year. They know I'm coming back."

"It doesn't hurt to be too careful, dear."

"Yeah, well," Serena felt a headache coming on. "I should go and help Emily. Tell Beth to call me soon."

"I will. Give Emily and Sam my love."

"I will. Bye, mom."

"Bye."

Serena hung up the phone and groaned, tossing it onto the table in front of her. Her mother loved her, but her mother was just too particular all the time. Serena knew she got her cheerfulness from her mother, but she knew how to tone it down when circumstances demanded it. Mama Wilder thought smiling solved everything. Serena loved her mother, but sometimes she wanted someone to hold her and let her cry, not to pat her shoulder and give her a beautiful smile.

_Paul would be good for that sort of thing._

Serena told her inner voice to shut up and grabbed her phone off the table. She sighed, plastered a smile onto her face and skipped into the house. Emily was flipping burgers on the stove, and Leah was muttering to herself and occasionally sipping coffee.

"You're smiling too much, stop it," said Leah bluntly. Emily swatted her with a tea-towel, but Serena merely grimaced at her when Emily's back was turned and swiped her coffee.

"You're mean, you don't get any nice food," Serena stuck out her tongue at the other girl, who almost growled, attempting to snatch the coffee from her hands.

"You'll spill it!" Serena laughed and shrieked at the same time, running away from the angry Quilete. "Leah, _stop_!"

"Gimme coffee," grunted Leah, approaching Serena with zombie-like steps. "Haven't slept."

"Sam will kill you if I get hurt and Emily will kill you if you spill coffee on the floor," warned Serena. She smirked in triumph when Leah looked hesitant. "Ha! I win. Now sit down and smile."

Leah sank back into her chair, stifling her scream on the polished wood of the table. Emily sighed and set down a plate in front of her, complete with an extra-large burger and some salad. "Up you get, Lee-lee. Eat something and then you can go nap in the den. I put in clean sheets this morning."

Leah sat up, looked up at Emily with adoration and practically inhaled the food in front of her. Serena stared in horror as Leah finished the food in record time, gave Emily a sloppy kiss on her cheek and fled in the general direction of the den. Emily laughed at Serena's expression.

"You'll get used to it," she patted her arm sympathetically and placed another plate, this one with a slightly smaller burger and fries, in front of Serena. "Paul's much worse," she winked cheekily at the blushing teenager.

"You're mean," muttered Serena. "Its not like that."

"He likes you, Serena, I can tell."

"I don't want a summer fling, Emily."

"Why does it have to be one?"

"Because I have to leave."

"You could keep visiting."

"My mother just called to basically make sure I was going back to school in the fall," Serena snorted. "I wont have time to do anything if she has her way."

"Its your life," Emily shrugged and set down a glass of milk next to Serena's plate. "She doesn't control you, silly girl, you just let her."

Serena poked at her burger moodily. "I don't know."

Emily wiped her hands on her apron and sat down in Leah's empty seat. She drew an arm around Serena. "This is more than what you're telling me, Serena. What's wrong? You don't like Paul?"

"I do," Serena sighed and rested her head on Emily's shoulder. "I do like him, Em, but if I date him or if I even let myself like him more than I already do then I won't want to leave, or if I do leave I'll spend every minute either thinking about him or worried that he's going to find someone better. I'm too possessive and I'm too crazy to do this to him or myself."

"There were a lot of ifs in that rant," pointed out Emily. Serena nodded, her lower lip still stuck out in a pout. Emily sighed. "Don't overthink it. Paul likes you, and if you give him a chance, you're the only girl he'll ever like. I've known that boy for years. Trust me," she kissed the top of her head. "Now, eat up, then you can fry the potatoes while I make some more for the boys."

Serena nodded, her appetite gone, but nevertheless she ate her lunch willingly, allowing Emily to mother her a little more. It was nice to feel this way once in a while. She felt her phone buzz in her back pocket and sighed, realizing it was probably her mother reminding her about the UW letter and hinting that she should email the Dean again.

It wasn't.

_From: Paul Lahote_

_Good morning, beautiful. I know it's not exactly morning anymore but you were the first thing I thought of when I woke up (after breakfast, I'll admit) so I figured, why not?_

Serena her lip, attempting to stop the smile that threatened to break out across her face. _Why not, indeed?_


	11. Chapter 11

"Do you smile every time someone texts you or is that just when Paul does?" Serena rolled her eyes at Leah's less-than-subtle teasing and stuffed her phone back into her pocket, kicking the oven door shut and setting the tray of roast chicken on the table, automatically snapping Embry's hand away from it.

"You're mean," Embry scowled. "Just _one_-"

"Don't. Emily will kill you."

"She never kills any of us," sulked Embry. "_She _would let me have some."

"_She_ is too busy panicking since the bonfire got cancelled because of the rain, so now all the Elders are coming here," Serena glared at the younger boy. "Don't make it harder for her. Paws off."

Embry pouted, but folded his arms across his chest and sat back obediently. Leah rolled her eyes and picked up a cookie from the plate Serena had just filled. "You're just going crazy because Paul is coming over too."

"I am not. I saw him yesterday."

"You mean he came over to get you yesterday for a _date_."

"I needed to go to the grocery store and he offered to drive me!"

Embry snorted. "He didn't just drive you, he went inside with you and helped you carry all your stuff."

"He was being polite, which is more than I can say for any of you," retorted Serena. "Mind your own business."

"Admit it," Embry waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You _like_ him."

"I'd admit that to _him _before I'd tell any of you about it," Serena stuck out her tongue at her friends and untied her apron from around her waist. "Now, I'm going to help Emily do her hair. _Don't _finish all the food or I swear I won't save either of you from her!"

She ducked as Leah threw a cookie at her and ran out of the kitchen, making a beeline for Emily's bedroom. She cursed as a sharp knock sounded behind her and stopped, groaning when she realized Embry and Leah wouldn't open the door. She stomped towards the door and jerked it open, but lost her balance when the person on the other side opened the door without waiting for someone to answer it.

"Woah!" warm hands grasped her upper arm and waist, helping her to stand straight. Serena looked up and locked eyes with Paul, who grinned down at her slyly. "Either you _really _like falling into my arms or you're just dead clumsy."

"This just isn't my day," Serena sighed and half-heartedly smacked his chest. "Thanks for the save. Again. We really do need to stop meeting like this."

"Didn't you say you usually save this stunt for the third date?" his eyes were twinkling.

"I did. You really need to ask me out soon or this will just get embarrassing," Serena couldn't bring herself to be annoyed by his teasing. Every time Paul smiled at her, she felt like spinning, like those girls in the fairy-tales Emily had made her watch when she had been her baby-sitter.

"I'll consider it," Paul stepped inside the house and casually flung an arm around her shoulders. Serena hoped he didn't see her blush. "Where's the food?"

"Don't even think about it. In fact," she turned to face him and put her hands on her hips. "You need to keep Embry and all the other boys away from the food until everyone else show up."

"I do?" Paul looked confused.

"He does?!" Embry's shout came from the kitchen.

"Yes, you do," Serena folded her arms across her chest. "I don't trust any of them."

"And you trust _him_?' Embry was almost shrieking now.

"Shut it," called back Paul, rolling his eyes.

"You're doing it," said Serena bluntly. "You have to."

"You want me to keep _all _of those guys away from _Emily's_ cooking?"

"Yes."

"Impossible."

"If you do it, I'll go out with you."

Paul smirked. "You don't need excuses or hints, I can ask you out anyway."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Obviously the subtlety isn't enough for you to _get _the hint."

Paul chuckled. "Tomorrow night?"

"If even one cookie is missing, never."

"It's a date," Paul winked and almost skipped towards the kitchen. Serena blinked in confusion, debated with herself for about ten seconds, and then heard a satisfying _smack _echo from the kitchen followed by Embry's yelp of pain. Giggling, she ran back to Emily's room.

**!**

"Do you want some dessert, Mr. Lahote?" asked Serena politely. She had been passing around the large dish of chocolate mousse, but once she noticed that the boys took about half an hour to pass it to the next person, she had grabbed the extra dish that had been chilling in the fridge and was offering it to the adults who were sitting on the patio.

Paul's father smiled at her and shook his head. "No, thank you, Serena. And please, call me Dave. I don't need to feel older than I already am."

Next to him, Billy snorted. "The youngest of us feels old, great. How do you think the rest of us feel?"

"You're a spring chicken, Billy," assured Serena as she spooned out some of the chocolatey mess for Old Quil, whose eyes were constantly twinkling. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

Billy grinned. "Always nice talking to you, kid. You have a gift for making us feel like teenagers."

Serena winked and went back to the kitchen, depositing the half-empty dish in the freezer. She turned around to pick up a cloth to begin wiping the kitchen counter, but instead rammed into someone's chest and stifled a scream.

"Hey!" it was Paul. He gripped her shoulders and helped steady her, his eyes concerned. "Did I scare you?"

Serena shook her head vehemently, though she still felt jumpy. Paul's unexpected habit of turning up whenever she wasn't looking unnerved her, but not in a bad way. She wasn't used to constantly being on edge, and the fact that he forced her to be both thrilled and annoyed her. Still, she forced a smile and punched his shoulder playfully. "You'll have some explaining to do if I die of a heart-attack."

"Don't even joke about that," he sounded so serious that Serena gave him a bemused glance. He was frowning.

"Stop being so serious," she said, nudging his softly. "Lighten up. Did you have fun today?"

"I'm having fun now," Serena rolled her eyes at the obvious flirtatious comment and sidestepped him so she could grab the cloth. Paul raised his eyebrows. "You're cleaning up already? Alone?"

"Yes," Serena shrugged and expertly piled the scattered dishes into the sink, slightly surprised when Paul swiped the rag from her hand and began wiping the counter she had just cleared. "Hey, you don't have to do that."

"I want to," he gave her a quick smile. "Beats sitting outside anyway. It still smells like rain."

"I love rain," Serena felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips. "Don't you?"

"I would miss it if I went to a place like Texas," shrugged Paul. "It rains too much here."

Serena snorted. "I've never been that far. My dad travelled all the time, but my mom wanted us to stay close to home. The first time I left our Rez was when I went to visit colleges, and I didn't apply anywhere outside Washington."

"Why?" Paul sounded surprised. "I thought you finished high school early."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "You actually remember me saying that?"

Paul shrugged and turned away from her slightly. Serena resisted the urge to swoon at his sheepish expression. "Yeah, well, anything you say is hard to forget."

"You're so sweet," Serena giggled, an incredibly girly sound that she was sure Paul hadn't been expecting from her, since he threw her an amused glance. She ducked her head and began piling dishes into the dishwasher, avoiding his eye. "I _am _smart though, if that's what you meant. I just liked being close to home, I guess. And my mom didn't want me to go too far, so I figured Seattle was a safe bet. Of course, now I want to be as far away as possible."

"Why?"

Serena grimaced. "Mama Wilder is a little… overwhelming."

To her surprise, Paul laughed loudly. She gave him a look. He smirked. "You say it like it's a bad thing. You're pretty overwhelming too."

Serena's mouth fell open. "I am not!"

"You are, but I like it," Serena's indignation melted away at his honesty. "You're always smiling, you're never upset, you're always trying to help, and you're usually all over the place," he shrugged, turning away from her when he saw her raised eyebrows. "I don't know how to explain it, but it's like everywhere someone turns there's a hint of you. Can't say I'm complaining though, I think you're pretty perfect."

Serena blinked. She knew she was a bright, happy person, but the fact that someone as serious and brooding as Paul _liked _that about her made her feel giddy. And he had called her perfect. She knew she was far from it, but he thought she was. Paul thought she was perfect. She felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips, threatening to turn into a grin. Paul was smiling, a little embarrassed, wordlessly helping her clean a kitchen that he hadn't even made messy. Serena took the rag from his hands, shaking her head when he gave her a questioning look. She skipped to the freezer and took the dish back out, grabbing two clean spoons from the drawer next to it.

She sat down at the table and dug into the dessert she hadn't had a chance to taste yet. Wordlessly, Paul mimicked her. They ate in silence, until finally Serena looked at him and raised an eyebrow. He was staring at her. "What?" she ran a hand through her hair self-consciously. "Do I have something on my face?"

"No." He didn't stop staring.

Serena rolled her eyes. "You just said some really sweet things to me, so this is my way of saying thank you. Are you going to ruin it by being a creep now?"

He smiled a little, and reached out a hand, gently tugging on a lock of her hair. "You didn't tie your hair today."

Serena felt a blush rise to her cheeks. Of course he would notice. She had worn her hair in its customary bun the whole day, but when she had finally come out after all the guests had arrived she had reflexively tugged the hair-tie out of her hair. She told herself it was because she wanted to look nice, but in reality she knew she had been hoping Paul would notice, and he had. She bit her lip and tried to act casual. "Yeah, well, you keep pulling my hair-ties out so I thought I should just save you the trouble."

Paul smirked at that. Serena blushed harder and took another bite of mousse, an excuse to stop looking at him. However, her hands shook, and once she swallowed she felt his fingers graze the corner of her mouth, wiping the smudge of chocolate away. Her eyes shot to meet his. The smirk had turned into a gentle smile, and she knew she couldn't ignore the pure adoration that shone in his eyes anymore. He only looked that way at her: Emily was right, and she had been a fool not to see it. Paul liked her, _a lot_, and if the angle of his face was any indication, he was about to kiss her.

She did a small victory dance in her head and leaned forward, slowly, eagerly, the rational part of her brain that said a summer fling was a bad idea effectively ignored. He couldn't have been more than an inch away, his warm breath brushing her lips, when the kitchen door slammed open and everyone poured inside, talking loudly and ignoring them completely. Emily had sent everyone in to help Serena clean up.

**!**

As Sam shut the door on the last of the guests, Serena slumped in her chair and let out a sigh. It was almost three in the morning, and she was exhausted. Her anxiety to help Sam and Emily as much as possible to attempt to repay them for letting her live in their house had made her clean their whole kitchen single-handedly, despite the pack of Quilete boys that had been there to help her. But after they had interrupted her and Paul, she had simply wanted to keep her hands busy so she didn't have to think.

_Paul. _She felt a thrill go through her body at his name, and she bit her lip. He hadn't even kissed her yet, had shown zero interest in her except for flirtatious comments and the odd look, but Serena had never been surer of a boy's affection in her life. She knew Paul liked her and she wanted him to just tell her already.

Mechanically, she said good night to Sam and Emily and hurried to her room. Her camera lay neglected on her small desk. Emily had been using it to take pictures since Serena had taken over the kitchen, and she hadn't had a chance to see what she had captured. Unwilling to spend more time thinking about Paul, she grabbed the camera off her desk and sat down cross-legged on her bed, flipping open the screen.

Most were of the adults, and Serena smiled slightly to see one of Sam and Emily deep in conversation, probably taken by Jacob or Billy, the only two who had been willing to touch her camera on previous occasions. The look in Sam's eyes was unsettlingly familiar. She kept flipping, and finally came upon a few pictures taken of her when she hadn't been looking. There was one of her eating, and she grimaced at her slightly dazed expression. The next one made her bite her lip. Emily had obviously been spying on her.

It was a candid shot, taken with an inexperienced hand but Serena didn't need a professional to tell her what Emily had been trying to catch. Only a hint of Serena's face could be seen, her dark hair messily twisted over her shoulder. Paul was seated opposite her, his hand a blur as it spooned out the dessert from the dish between them. He was staring at her, and even through the camera Serena could see the same look in his eyes that she caught when he thought she hadn't noticed him staring. It was that look that Emily had been intent on capturing.

It was the same look that she had seen in Sam's eyes when he looked at Emily.


	12. Chapter 12

"So you're telling me," Embry swiped a french fry from Serena's plate and chewed thoughtfully, ignoring her glare. "That you actually don't have a dark side?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yes, Embry. I'm all sunshine and rainbows. And stop stealing my food."

"Why?" he took a handful this time. "You didn't feed me."

"You ate at Emily's."

"And you didn't?"

"No. I wanted junk food and you had a car."

"So you don't love me?" Embry looked seriously wounded at that statement, and Serena sighed, pushing her fries towards him in a gesture of good-will. Easily pacified, Embry proceeded to attack the food, giving Serena some time to think.

Paul had tried to kiss her over a week ago, and had effectively vanished for five days after that. Serena had been confused, annoyed, and then hurt when she found out he had gone to Tacoma for his mother's will reading for the weekend, and had deliberately avoided her for two days before that. She had thought of calling him, but apparently he had left his phone in La Push. When she ran into his father at the grocery store on the sixth day, the overflowing basket had informed her that he was back. Mr. Lahote, or Dave as he was constantly insisting that she call him, had seemed confused that she didn't already know where Paul was, which had embarrassed Serena even more. And now, on the seventh day, she had woken up late and walked downstairs fresh from her shower to see the living room overflowing with boys and Paul just entering the house.

She didn't know what had come over her, but the slight shift in the atmosphere seemed to suggest that she and Paul were not the only ones aware of the situation. Frustrated, she had sought out Embry and tugged on his sleeve, quietly asking if he could drive her to the diner a few minutes away. He had looked utterly confused, but Serena knew his sixth sense had picked up on the tension. He had guided her away immediately, cowering slightly when they had to pass by Paul. Serena had ignored him.

"Hey!" Embry snapped his fingers in front of her face, bringing her out of her reverie. "Did you even hear what I said?"

"No, sorry," Serena tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "What?"

"I asked if there's something you'd like to talk about," his forehead puckered into a worried frown. "You haven't been acting like yourself." Serena shrugged and took a bite of her burger to avoid answering. Embry narrowed his eyes. "Is this about Paul?"

"I wouldn't know, he hasn't said one word to me in over a week," the sentence came out more bitterly than either Serena or Embry had expected, and Serena sighed in annoyance.

Embry looked sympathetic. "If it helps, he actually did leave really suddenly and he really did forget his phone."

"And the days before and after that?" asked Serena. She raised an eyebrow when Embry looked chagrined. "I don't expect him to call or text me, but I do want to know what I did to deserve the silent treatment."

"Nothing," said Embry immediately. "Its just Paul being Paul. We don't like to call him out on it because he'd rip our heads off," he chuckled at his weak joke.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Well, I'm not you guys, Embry. I want answers and I'm not scared of him, but if he wants to avoid me he can go right ahead." She stood up from the table and fished some money out of her wallet, ignoring Embry's confused expression and dropping it onto the table. "Thanks for the lift, but I want to walk back and clear my head. Don't worry, I know the way pretty well by now. I'll see you later." She was out of the door before he had time to respond.

As soon as the cold air hit her cheeks, Serena sighed in relief. At least the weather was predictable in this place. The people were another matter. One minute a boy was calling her beautiful and caressing her face, and the next he was avoiding her completely and pretending he hadn't almost tried to kiss her. It would be better, Serena decided as she crossed the road, if he just told her he had made a mistake and then left her alone. This hoping was killing her. She wasn't the kind of girl who played with other people's feelings, so she couldn't imagine why Paul was doing it to her. They had gotten along pretty well, and she had even considered them friends. The harmless flirting had convinced her that he liked her: the incident in the kitchen only proved it. So why was he hiding from her?

"I hate boys," she muttered to herself darkly. She cut into the woods opposite the diner hurriedly, knowing that the fastest way back to Sam and Emily's house was if she continued west through the trees for a few minutes. She remembered Emily's warning of not going into the woods alone, but shrugged it off. She had her cell-phone on her, and she threw a mean punch when she wanted to. She would be safe.

She was almost home when a rustle in the trees behind her caused her to freeze. A quick glance showed that there was no one in sight, but Serena knew she wasn't alone. She took a deep breath and reached into her pocket for her phone, pressing Sam's speed dial and holding her breath as another rustle sounded from next to her. However, before Sam picked up, she sensed someone behind her. Whirring around sharply, she groaned. It was only Paul.

"What the hell are you trying to do?" she demanded. Her heart was beating wildly and her hands curled into fists at her sides to stop shaking. The fury in her voice matched his livid expression.

"What the hell are _you _trying to do?" his voice was a low growl as he grabbed her arm, tugging her slightly closer. Serena kept her eyes fixed on his face: he was shirtless again. "Don't you know you can't go into the woods alone?"

"I can do whatever I want," sneered Serena. She wrenched her arm out of his grip. "Don't act like you care now, Paul, you've done _such_ a good job proving that you don't."

Paul frowned and grabbed her arm again, ignoring her struggles and towing her towards the house. "I don't know what- Hey!" he let go of her suddenly, more out of surprise than pain as Serena suspected. His wide-eyed stare was almost comical. "Did you just _bite _me?"

"I'll punch you next time you touch me," she hissed. Blood rushed to her head, and she could feel her temples pounding. The urge to kick something, or better yet, punch Paul's teeth in, was getting stronger. Without thinking, she ran.

Serena realized after a few seconds that Paul could easily catch up to her, but he wasn't. He was jogging behind her, calling out her name almost frantically and asking her to come back. She heard him say something about it not being safe, but in her distraction she collided with something hard and fell down. The impact caused her head to crack against the floor, but the mud was slightly soft from the rain and she was sure she hadn't broken anything. Still, the fear that suddenly crept up onto her was unsettling. The woods had gone deathly quiet.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" the voice was calm, and sounded amused. It made her skin crawl. Serena picked herself off the ground slowly and came face to face with a pale man. His bright red eyes caught her attention, and she found that she was too preoccupied with them to even register what he looked like. All she knew was that she didn't want to be here with him alone. She wanted Paul.

Serena backed away immediately, noticing that Paul wasn't calling for her anymore. Had he left her? The strange man didn't try to approach her, but his eyes were glinting with an almost predatory look. Serena couldn't look away, but she realized she needed to speak, anything to break the tension that hung in the air. When she spoke, her voice was scratchy. "Who are you?"

"I'm the reason that young man back there was telling you the woods aren't safe," he informed her, almost kindly. He took one step towards her and held out his hand casually. "My name is Leonard. "

Serena looked at his hand, and then back at him in amazement. She blurted out the first thing she could think of. "What are you doing here?"

"Hunting," he smiled widely, showing off very white teeth. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I should go before those blasted wolves catch me. And if I take you," he tilted his head to one side, and his words caused Serena to take several steps back. "Well, I doubt that rather angry wolf would leave me alone. It was lovely to meet you, though." And just like that, he was gone.

Serena blinked, still staring at the spot the man had stood only moments before. Other than breathing, she couldn't move a muscle. Her brain was working in overdrive, bringing stories from her childhood to the surface that she had tried to repress for years. Snatches of Old Quil's voice as he told the story of the cold ones registered in the back of her mind, as if he was right next to her and whispering the tales to her. Again and again, the red eyes of the man flashed before her, and she let out a small whimper. The word _hunting _kept resonating in her mind, turning her whimpers into a strangled cry.

She sunk to the ground, her hands now shaking uncontrollably. She heard quick footsteps and suddenly Paul was at her side, his hands grasping her under her elbows and helping her stand up. Serena looked up at him, relishing the feeling of safety that suddenly swept through her. Paul wouldn't let that _thing _hurt her. Paul would keep her safe. His eyes were still furious, but Serena didn't care. She buried her face into his chest and burst into tears.

"Hey, hey," his hands shifted from her arms to her waist and he held her closer, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "You're safe, Serena. Relax."

"His eyes," hiccupped Serena. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked up at Paul fearfully. "Paul, they were-"

"I know," he interrupted her. He smoothed her hair away from her face and rested his forehead against hers. "I don't care. You're safe, that's all that matters."

"But-"

"I know, baby, I know what he was."

"He didn't even try to-" Paul shushed her again, his lips only centimetres from hers. Despite the fear that still lurked in the back of her mind, Serena's heart leapt: was he going to kiss her?

He didn't. He merely sighed and edged away from her slightly, pulling her into his side and tugging her back towards the house. His grip on her remained strong until they got to Sam and Emily's door. He let her go then, and gestured for her to go inside. "Emily will be waiting for you."

"You're not coming?" Serena froze and stared at him in horror. "Paul, there's a-"

"I know," he ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "I _know_, Serena, okay? But I have to go."

"No," Serena grabbed his hand and tugged him towards the door. He didn't budge. "You can't go out there! Not what that-that _thing _running around!"

"It can't hurt me," he soothed, prying her fingers off his arm. "I promise, nothing will happen and it won't touch you. But you need to go inside, where it's safe."

Serena's eyes filled with tears again and she shook her head wildly. Her hands hadn't stopped trembling. "Of course it can hurt you, you idiot! It's a…" she gulped. She couldn't say it. She had never been able to say it.

Paul kissed the hand he had just removed from his arm, and Serena's heart thudded painfully in her chest. He gave her a small smile. "Somebody's got to go and make sure Embry doesn't take all the glory for himself," he pressed a quick kiss to her forehead, his lips warm. Serena froze, and Paul took advantage of her surprise to gently push her towards the door. Serena's voice caught in her throat as he jogged away from her. She wanted to cry out, to stop him, beg him to stay with her and explain what was going on, but suddenly the shock was too much for her. She fell to the ground again, in the back of her mind wondering how bruised her knees would be tomorrow. Emily's door opened and warm hands were helping her stand up and guiding her towards the sofa, but she shrugged them off. They reminded her too much of Paul. Paul, who may or not return because he thought it would be a good idea to attempt to take on a _vampire_ alone.

Then Emily's soothing voice was at her ear, and something cold was pressed into her hands. "Drink this, hun," it was Sue Clearwater. "You'll feel better when you wake up."

Serena drowned the glass immediately without complaint, and sighed as her mind drifted into unconsciousness.


	13. Chapter 13

"Emily was afraid she might have a panic attack and she didn't know when Paul would come back so she thought it was a good idea."

"I understand. And she seems fine now, it should be wearing off any minute."

"Thanks, Carlisle. And for Paul, too. You know he appreciates it, in his own way."

"I know, Jacob. I'll see you back at the house."

Serena's eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar voice's words, in time to see the back of a blonde man exit the room. She was in Sam and Emily's living room, on the sofa. Jacob was sitting next to her, cross-legged. He looked up as soon as her eyes opened, an expression of relief coming over his face.

"Thank God you're awake," he ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly. "We had to sedate Paul to make sure his bones set properly, he wouldn't shut up about seeing you."

Serena sat up gingerly, then almost lay back down at the sudden dizziness his words brought on. "Bones?" she croaked. "W-what happened to him?"

Jacob looked horrified. "Nothing, nothing!" he knelt by her side and helped her sit up properly, supporting most of her weight and handing her a glass of water. "He's fine, he's just sleeping it off. Let's just get you better, okay?" with more gentleness than she had thought possible, Jacob made her finish the glass of water, then allowed her to lean against his shoulder and led her into the kitchen, where Emily and Leah were sitting at the table. Both of them immediately stood up and Emily took Serena's arm, shooing Jacob out and helping her to sit down.

Serena shook off her hand carefully and rested her forehead against her palm, leaning her elbow on the table. She caught Leah's eye and sighed. "I'm okay, I promise. I just…" she trailed off, and sighed again. "Okay, yeah, it's a lot to take in, but its not like I'm going to pass out from shock."

Leah almost cracked a smile at that. "Nah, you're made of stronger stuff. I told her you wouldn't faint."

"Are you hungry?" asked Emily quietly. "Do you want anything?"

Serena shook her head. "I just want to see Paul so he can tell me what's going on."

"He's asleep," Emily's voice stayed quiet. "You can see him when he's up, but we can answer any questions you have."

"Okay," Serena sighed and looked up at both women. "Tell me what's going on."

The look in Leah's eyes remained suspicious. "Do you really want to know this stuff?" she asked finally. "Once you hear it, Serena, you can't ignore it. Just say the word, and we can take you back to your reservation and you can forget this whole thing even happened," Serena caught movement out of the corner of her eye and turned to see that Emily was shaking her head at Leah. Her eyes looked sad, but Leah's were determined. "She should make this choice for herself, Em," said Leah quietly. "We shouldn't force her. Tell me what you want, Serena."

Serena took a deep breath. "I want to forget what I saw," she whispered. It was the truth. She didn't need to look at Emily to feel her disappointment, though she couldn't understand why the older woman would feel that way. She ignored it and settled for looking into Leah's neutral face. "It was awful, Leah. He-his eyes were red, and he was so _calm_," her voice broke and she covered her face with her hands, shaking slightly as she remembered the eeriness of the moment. Leonard's eyes had almost sparkled when he saw her, as if she was utterly fascinating. It made her feel sick every time she remembered the red eyes and the smooth voice that had almost lulled her, just for a second. The realization that she had been so close to one of _them _almost made her pass out, despite what she had told Leah. Automatically, she pulled back when Emily tried to give her a hug. She missed Paul's warmth. Shuddering, she pulled herself together and wiped her cheeks aggressively, not wanting anyone to see the tears that were already flowing from her eyes. "But I _can't _forget it, and I want to know what exactly is going on. Why did Paul say the-the-" she broke off, unable to say it. She let out a shaky breath.

Leah's expression had shifted from neutral to resigned. "The leeches," she began slowly. "They can't hurt us, Serena. Well, they can," she amended. "I mean, we're natural enemies so in a fight only one of us will come out on top, but it's usually us. That's what Paul meant when he said he has to stop him. That's what we're for."

Serena shook her head. "I don't understand. I couldn't even _move _when I saw it and-"

"There's a difference between you and us, Serena," Leah sounded almost kind now. "I know you're shocked and you don't want to think about it, but I want you to understand this yourself. How did you know that guy was a vampire?"

Serena's answer was immediate. "His eyes."

"Right, and the fear you felt when you were around him?"

"Yes."

Leah nodded. "You have good instincts. Okay, now how did you know how to identify a vampire?"

Serena frowned. "The same way you guys know. I've heard the stories. I know what they are."

Leah nodded again and looked at her expectantly, as if she was waiting for something. Serena looked at Emily, who merely sighed. "I don't think she understands, Leah. Maybe Sam should-"

"Sam's way always scares the crap out of everyone," sighed Leah. "I thought this would be easier."

"What's going on?" Serena looked from one to the other helplessly. "I don't-"

"The Quiletes are descended from shape-shifters," interrupted Emily. She spoke without looking at Serena. "Every time the vampires come, the Quiletes shift into the enemy form of the vampire, to protect their tribe. It usually skips a generation, and our generation is the one," she sighed. "That's why Paul went into the woods and sent you home. The boys knew there was a vampire out there, and they needed to kill it."

Emily finally looked at Serena when she was done speaking. Her hands were gripping the table so hard that her knuckles were turning white. She remembered now. She had always enjoyed Quilete legends, but taking them as ghost stories rather than fact meant that she was fuzzy with the details. Once again, Old Quil's voice was back in her ears, telling tales of gigantic wolves who tore vampires apart with their teeth, wolves who transformed into men once their mission was complete.

"They're- they're-" she couldn't say it. Her small little world was suddenly upside down. Nothing was in its place. Could it be possible? The boys she had spent weeks laughing with, could they burst into fur when there was a vampire around? For some reason, that visual made her giggle. Maybe she was going hysterical. Her symptoms were definitely those of someone suffering from shock. Maybe she could have more of that concoction Sue had given her so that she could sleep and wake up and realize it was just a dream with another sweet text message from Paul waiting for her once she was conscious. It sounded like a good idea. She looked up at Emily and grinned, ignoring the look of confusion on the older woman's face. "Okay, nice one, guys. I'd like to wake up now."

Leah groaned and Emily shook her head slowly. "This isn't a joke, Serena," said Leah. She stood up and grabbed her arm, tugging her to her feet and ignoring Emily's protests. "Come outside, I'll show you."

Serena followed willingly. They stepped out onto the patio and Emily wrapped her arms around Serena's shoulders, holding her close. It didn't make her feel as safe as Paul's embrace had, but it was still comforting. Leah jogged to the centre of the garden, and, to Serena's surprise, tugged off her t-shirt and shorts. She barely had time to register what her friend was doing before a ripping sound echoed through the yard and there, in Leah's place, was a large wolf.

Emily's screech was the last thing Serena heard before she blacked out.

**!**

When she woke up again, she had decided that she wasn't dreaming and it was stupid to pretend otherwise.

Emily was seated by her bedside, reading a book. Her eyes were full of guilt, but Serena couldn't bring herself to be angry. How do you tell your oldest friend that everyone around you is a werewolf? She had merely shrugged off Emily's apologies and allowed her to mother her a bit, letting her brush her hair after she had showered and smooth out the covers of her bed. One smile was enough to tell her that all was forgiven.

Sam was alone downstairs.

He was cautious, but Serena had immediately closed the distance between them and thrown her arms around him, resisting her tears. She could sense Sam's surprise, but he was quick to hug her back. "I hope you're all okay," she croaked. "The-the thing was really creepy."

"Nothing we can't handle," Sam smiled down at her, and she smiled back, appeased. Wolf or not, Sam would always try to look out for her. He patted her back comfortingly and handed her over to his wife, teasingly flicking at her forehead. "No more fainting now, okay?"

Serena tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled sheepishly, allowing Emily to hug her and set her down at the table. What she really wanted to do was find Paul, but she knew it wasn't safe to go outside alone. Maybe she could call him later, speak to him somehow so he knew that she knew everything. For some reason, she was curious to see what he would look like as a wolf. She had passed out before she could go near Leah, but despite her size she hadn't looked too intimidating. She had always liked animals, growing up with a veterinarian for a mother meant that she had been taught that animals were often more afraid of humans than the other way around.

"If you're okay maybe everyone can come over tonight for dinner," said Emily as she took a carton of milk out of the fridge. Serena raised an eyebrow. "They didn't know how you'd take it," she explained. "They wanted to give you space."

"I'm okay," her voice was still scratchy, but other than a headache she felt fine. Unless they transformed into wolves right in her face, she knew none of them would hurt her. It wasn't in the nature of the Quiletes to harm members of their tribe, or people who were important to them.

But then… As Emily set down a plate of waffles, Serena grabbed her sleeve and tugged at it until she was at her level. Her eyes zeroed in on her scars, the ones from the bear attack. Something had suddenly struck her, and she was curious to know if she was right. Emily noticed the gleam of curiosity, and her eyes closed. She let out a shaky breath and opened her eyes, a small nod answering Serena's silent question. Serena felt tears gather at the corner of her eyes again, but ignored them firmly and took a bite of her breakfast. Paul's hesitation made more sense now.


	14. Chapter 14

"Get back in bed, boy."

"Dad, don't make me-"

"Don't even try," Dave snorted and shoved his son back into his room, firmly closing the door behind him and blocking it, crossing his arms over his chest. Paul glared at him, but didn't dare move from where he stood. Dave knew his son was strong enough to fight his way out, but he wouldn't. He had been raised better than that.

Paul tried to argue again. "Dad, you don't get the-"

"If you want to see her, the desire will not lessen by another few hours of sleep," Dave pointed to the bed sternly. "I may not be a wolf, boy, but I know what love is, and if that girl feels even a quarter of what you feel, she'll come see you before dusk. Now, get your ass back in bed or I will call Sam."

Paul looked horrified. "You wouldn't."

"I would, and I would invite that pale doctor into my house too if it kept you in your room."

Paul grimaced. "Dad, he doesn't actually need to be invited in to get inside."

Dave waved away his son's objections. "Myth is myth. Now, get some sleep. Emily said she'd send you some leftovers. I'll wake you when they're here."

After making sure his son was indeed going to sleep and not climb out the window when he left, Dave exited the room and made his way downstairs. The television was on, and Dave sat down to enjoy the end of Top Gear. When a mindless and rather loud sitcom came on, he shut it off and picked up a file he had been reviewing of a car someone was trying to sell to him. He thumbed through it idly, but his brain was far too active to focus on work. Sighing, he made himself some coffee and allowed his mind to drift as he stirred in the sugar.

He couldn't help but feel bad for Serena. The girl was obviously smart and determined, but becoming Paul's imprint meant that she would probably spend the rest of her life in La Push. Dave loved his own home town, but he knew Paul hated it. He knew his son better than most people thought, considering how quiet they both were and how often they would butt heads when they did speak. Paul had never voiced his desire to leave, but Dave knew refusing college had little to do with his confusion over a career. He had stayed to help with the shop because he felt it was his duty to stay so long as the vampires stayed. The chances of them leaving, however, were now slim to none, and Dave couldn't stand the thought of his son spending the rest of his life working in the shop that he had set up just so he could earn enough to send Paul to college. He wanted to give his son freedom, but he knew he couldn't. He was just as duty-bound as Paul was.

A sharp knock at the door caused him to jump slightly. His coffee was cold and he noticed that over two hours had passed since he had sent Paul to bed. Emily must have sent someone to drop off the food. Wondering why they didn't just barge in, Dave opened the door and nodded to Embry. "Hey, Embry."

"Hey, D-man," Embry gave him a quick grin. "How's Paul?"

"Asleep, hopefully. I told him I'd wake him when there was food."

"Yeah, well, we brought enough to share," Embry held up the two large cloth bags he carried full of Tupperware containers.

"We?"

"Hello, Mr. Lahote," the quiet voice sounded from behind Embry, who grinned and entered the house, leaving Dave alone on the doorstep with Serena. His eyes widened when he saw her. Sue Clearwater had told him that she had given her a sedative in the morning and she had later fainted when she saw Leah transform. And yet here she was, with dark circles under her eyes but a small smile on her face. She carried a tray of brownies in her hands. "I made an extra batch this time," she added.

Dave finally found his voice and gave her a weak smile. "Hello, Serena," he ushered her inside, taking the tray from her hands and shooing her into the kitchen in what he assumed was a very mother-hen fashion, as Paul liked to call it.

She allowed herself to be guided towards a chair and sat down quietly while Embry emptied out the bags and Dave helped. When they were done, she stood up. "I can put some of the stuff away, if you want, unless you're hungry right now."

"You guys help yourselves. I'll just go wake up Paul," said Dave. He couldn't get over the shock of seeing her. Either this girl was insane, or incredibly strong-nerved. He leaned towards the latter, however, when he saw her nod and begin to open the boxes, swatting Embry's hands away from the food and simultaneously pulling crockery from the cupboards. As he ascended the stairs to Paul's room, he couldn't help but smile. Whatever she was, Serena Wilder was definitely going to be good for his son.

**!**

Serena accepted the mug of coffee from Paul's father smilingly and leaned against the wall, sipping the warm liquid and scanning the various picture frames that littered the mantle above the old-fashioned fire-place. Paul's house was small, but comfortable, despite the fact that it obviously lacked a woman's touch. Already Serena saw the difference in the kitchen, which she had insisted on cleaning after Embry's messy eating. Paul had been too deeply asleep to be woken by his father, who had guiltily confessed that he had been so glad to see the boy asleep he hadn't even mentioned Serena was here, knowing that that would wake him up immediately. Serena had merely blushed, ignored Embry's knowing snort, and nodded.

Dave noticed her looking and came to stand next to her, pointing to a picture of a small child with two missing front teeth. "He was around eight at this time, and very fond of pulling out his own milk teeth. His mother was constantly finding baby teeth under every cushion in the house, because he assumed the more teeth he lost, the more money he'd receive."

Serena giggled. "I don't think he'd appreciate you telling me all these stories."

"He wouldn't," agreed Dave. "Do you need to be heading back soon, or would you like me to try waking him up again?"

"I don't want to stay out too late," Serena bit her lip, and Dave merely nodded understandingly. "But I have to wake up Embry too, he drove me here and now he's crashed on your couch."

Dave laughed. "How about you head upstairs and check if Paul's awake? I'll have Embry up by the time you get back. I keep a spray bottle handy in case one of the boys sleeps for too long."

Serena laughed again, imagining Paul's father chasing the six feet tall Quilete boys out of his house while spraying them with bottles full of cold water. Still smiling, she ascended the stairs and reached the landing, noting the door of one of the rooms was slightly ajar. The soft snores coming from inside told her it was Paul's room. She crept towards it quietly, peering inside and smiling at what she saw.

Paul lay sprawled on his bed, his feet hanging off and his bare back glistening with sweat. Noting the stuffiness in the room, Serena gently pushed the door open wider to let in some fresh air and crossed the room to open the window. Paul didn't stir. Unwilling to wake him quite so soon, she took a seat in the desk chair that was pulled next to his bed, obviously where his father had sat when Paul had been injured. Swallowing the irrational fear that bubbled up inside her at the thought of him hurt, she focused on his face.

She didn't know what she had been expecting. Perhaps she had thought someone as angry as Paul would look angelic as he slept, but it was the opposite. A small frown puckered his eyebrows together in a harsh V shape, and his lips were pouted slightly due to the angle at which his chin rested on the bed. He didn't look like he was having a nightmare, but he didn't look at peace either. Hesitantly, Serena gently brushed away the strands of hair that fell into his eyes, surprised when they immediately opened and became fixed on her face.

She didn't move, and neither did he. Her hand hovered in mid-air, but she didn't pull back. Paul's first expression had been of annoyance, but as soon as he had registered who it was that had woken him up, a mixture of surprise, hope and excitement all flitted through his eyes one by one, causing her to blink in confusion.

The spell was broken as soon as they lost eye contact. Paul immediately sat up, running a hand over his face as if to banish sleep from it. Serena got up from the chair and tugged at the loose hair that had escaped her bun awkwardly, her gaze fixed on her feet. She heard more than saw Paul get up from the bed, mumbling something about finding a shirt. A soft rustle from behind her told her he had found what he was looking for, and she couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. However, he was suddenly in front of her and tilting her chin up, meeting her gaze with a lazy smile.

"Hey," his voice was still a little scratchy from sleep, but it made Serena almost swoon.

Before her eyes could glaze over, however, she returned his smile, a little shyly, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Hi," she replied, quieter than she had expected. "Sorry I woke you."

"It's okay," his voice was quiet too. "I wanted to come see you, but…" he trailed off. Serena looked at him questioningly. He sighed. "Sam warned me to stay away, and the doc said I had to stay in bed until my bones healed. The leech rammed me into a tree."

Serena winced. "Jacob told me you got hurt. I came as soon as Emily would let me. Are you-"

"I'm fine," he soothed. "We heal fast, don't worry." Serena nodded shakily, realizing her voice had started shaking as she spoke, something he had obviously noticed. Paul tugged on a stray lock of her hair. "My dad also told me that Leah phased in front of you."

"Yeah," Serena sighed and leaned slightly closer to him, enjoying the heat that seemed to almost radiate off of him in waves. It wasn't until Paul's arms settled around her waist that she realize how close she actually was. Automatically, her hands came to rest against his chest. She didn't feel like pulling away. "That was interesting."

"She shouldn't have freaked you out like that."

"It's okay. I thought it was a dream until she showed me."

Paul snorted. He rested his forehead against hers. "Seriously?"

Serena smiled sheepishly. "Yeah. And now that I've seen you sleep I'm seriously doubting your ability to be a vampire hunter," she teased. Paul growled playfully and bumped his nose with hers. His lips were dangerously close now, and Serena's pulse was racing. But no, he still didn't kiss her.

"I know when a leech is nearby, trust me," he said confidently. Then he winked. "And plus, when a pretty girl walks into my room, I don't feel the need to be cautious."

Serena rolled her eyes. "You should. Some of those things are really pretty too."

"I've seen better," he reached up with one hand and tugged the elastic out of her hair, letting it fall about her face in messy waves. Serena huffed in mock-annoyance, but the gesture always made her ridiculously happy. Paul's hand brushed her neck as he lowered it to grip her waist again, and Serena's heart thudded painfully in her chest. "I have a confession to make," he murmured. His lips ghosted over her own, and Serena's eyes fluttered close of their own accord. "I really wanted to kiss you yesterday, in the clearing."

Serena's eyes flew open. "You did?"

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Don't act like it wasn't obvious."

Serena frowned. "It wasn't, since you never did."

"I didn't think you'd want this after you found out what I was."

"What do you mean?"

"Serena," he sighed and rested his forehead against hers again. His eyes were sad. "I could really hurt you, and that's something I never want to do."

Emily's scars flashed in front of her eyes again, and Serena bit her lip. Paul looked crestfallen at her expression and immediately tried to pull away, but Serena tugged him back. The need to be close to him was growing every second, and the fact that she couldn't explain it should have frightened her, but it didn't. She caressed his face and gave him a small, somewhat reassuring smile. "I know you can hurt me," she said quietly. She tilted her face up, her lips just brushing his. "But I also know you never will."

Serena didn't know if it was her words or her actions that prompted him to act, but she almost sighed in relief when Paul's lips finally touched her own. She stood up on her toes to reach his level but his grip around her waist tightened and he lifted her up slightly so she wasn't reaching so high. His lips were soft, the kiss unbelievably sweet. For the first time in over a week, Serena felt a security inside her that she realized could only come from Paul's presence. His warm hands were caressing her cheeks, his lips earnest as they coaxed her mouth open to allow him to deepen the kiss. Serena complied and teasingly nipped at his lower lip, the playful growl that vibrated in his throat causing her knees to go slightly weak. She had to admit to herself that Paul was a good kisser. She couldn't remember the last time someone had made her feel like this, like she was the only thing that mattered in the whole world.

"Hey, Serena, are you- Oh, man!" Embry's traumatized voice from the doorway caused Serena to pull away from Paul immediately, whose expression screamed pure annoyance. She peered at Embry over his shoulder and sent him a wink. The younger Quilete only looked even more horrified and clapped a hand over his eyes, stumbling back down the stairs. She giggled and glanced back at Paul.

Paul was looking at her warily. His eyes were unsure, and he looked as if he was afraid she would hit him. The thought made her laugh again. "I don't think that's something he anticipated," she said finally, her slightly swollen lips twitching into a smile.

"Yeah, neither did I," Paul surprised her with another kiss, one that resulted in her stomach doing flip-flops and caused her to blush when he pulled away. He smirked. "Not that I'm complaining."

Serena willed her cheeks to return to their normal colour and rolled her eyes. "Didn't think so," she said. Paul chuckled and tugged her closer, resting his chin on top of her head as she buried her face into his chest. Serena sighed, half content and half reluctant. "I should go," she murmured. "Embry has to drive me home."

"He can wait," said Paul. He pulled back and grinned before planting another soft kiss on her jaw. "There's enough food downstairs to keep him occupied."

He kissed her neck then, his lips still unbelievably gentle. Serena lost her train of thought for a few moments and sighed, her fingers tangling into his hair automatically. He chuckled against her skin at her actions, causing her to reluctantly open her eyes and tug his face back up to her level. "You need to eat too," she bumped their noses affectionately. "Come on."

Paul whined, but Serena grabbed his hand and tugged him out of the room, ignoring his incessant attempts to pull her back. Downstairs, Paul's father was sitting at the table reading a book, and Embry was shoving pasta into his mouth from one of the containers that Emily had sent. Paul smacked the younger boy upside the head and sat down next to him, swiping the box of food and the fork from his hands. Serena giggled and ruffled Embry's hair affectionately before going over to the fridge and removing a few other containers. As she put two into the microwave and chewed a brownie while waiting, she glanced back and saw Embry and Paul wrestling for control of the fork while Dave sipped his coffee, ignoring them casually. Her lips twitched. Did it matter that they transformed into wolves if their antics brought a smile to her face no matter what the situation?

No, it didn't.


	15. Chapter 15

"Okay, next question," Serena sucked on a strawberry and tapped her chin lightly as she chewed. A quick glance at Paul's slightly dazed expression as he watched her made her giggle. "Don't stare."

"Sorry," he mumbled, eyes still glued to her lips as she resisted the urge to smirk.

"I'm sure you are," Serena flicked his forehead, causing his gaze to focus back on her face. "You'll flatter me and then you'll dump me at this rate."

Paul rolled his eyes at that. "I'm not dumping you that easy," he gave her a soft kiss on her cheek and tightened his hold on her. They were laying side-by-side in a clearing in the woods, close enough to Sam and Emily's house that they were safe but far enough to get some privacy. Paul nuzzled Serena's neck, ignoring her attempts to get free. "Though I should probably take you on a real date soon."

Serena gave up her efforts to move, opting for another strawberry. "Probably, but I don't mind."

"You're weird."

"Only a little bit."

"You eat strawberries like they're candy."

"You don't like strawberries?" Serena looked genuinely horrified by the idea. "How can you-"

Paul cut her off, silencing her with a kiss and chuckling against her lips when she hummed in pleasure. "Trust me," he kissed the corner of her mouth and pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "I _really _like strawberries."

"Oh yeah?" Serena blushed and bumped their noses together affectionately. "Since when?"

"Yesterday," he grinned at her snort and kissed her again.

Serena pushed him away firmly. "Okay, as much as I enjoy you kissing me, you promised you'd let me ask questions this time."

"You asked like five hundred already."

"I asked you six! And then you started kissing me and-"

Paul clapped a hand over her mouth, rolling his eyes as she bit down on his palm. "That doesn't hurt," he said calmly. "Question number three was how I heal so fast and why I feel like I'm solid as a rock, remember?" Serena scowled as he removed his hand. "You have two more questions and then we're going back inside. You didn't bring a jacket."

Serena raised an eyebrow and rolled away from him so she was lying on her stomach. She propped up her elbows and rested her chin on her palms, narrowing her eyes at Paul. "You're lying," she said flatly.

"What?"

"You're lying. You're saying we should go inside because I don't have a jacket, but we both know you're a walking-talkingelectric heater, so there's no way I'll feel cold if we stay. In fact," she grinned. "That's my first question. Why do you want to go inside so soon?"

Paul groaned. "Serena-"

"Answer the question or I won't make you brownies for a week."

"Hey!"

"Two weeks. Get talking."

Paul scowled. "I have patrol at eight."

"Patrol?" he nodded, but didn't offer any more information. Serena huffed and inched closer to him, poking his bare chest with her finger. "Lighten up. Tell me."

Paul grabbed her hand, playing with her fingers so as to avoid her eyes. "We have to patrol the borders, make sure no unwanted visitors show up. There are always two of us out there. I usually take the night shift. And nothing happens," he added. Serena had frozen, her hand a statue in his. "The leeches don't come near the Rez. That one guy was a freak accident, and he ran as soon as he smelt us. The Cullens made sure he knew he wasn't welcome."

Serena winced at the name. Despite her initial regard for the Cullens, when Paul had told her they were vampires as well, she had nearly had a panic attack. Jacob had assured her that they were 'vegetarians', which meant they didn't hunt humans, but Serena shivered every time she imagined their cold skin. Unconsciously, she shifted closer to Paul's warmth. He tugged her towards himself willingly, pressing her back against his chest. Serena sighed, unwilling to sit in silence. Her brain had developed a habit of imagining scenarios where large wolves were thrown against trees by pale men and women with red eyes. "Why do you take the night shift?" she asked finally, more to fill the silence than out of curiosity.

"Because that's when you're asleep," he said it like it was obvious. Serena glanced back at him in confusion. He grinned sheepishly. "I used to take the morning shift. But when you showed up I switched with Embry so I could see you."

"You switched your patrol times so you could hang out with me more?" asked Serena incredulously. Paul nodded. Serena's lips twitched. "That is so adorable."

"_Adorable_?" Paul sounded offended. "That's the best you can do?"

"Pretty much," Serena giggled and snuggled closer to him. "Okay, I have one more thing to ask and then I'll go back inside so you can go be the big bad wolf."

Paul rolled his eyes. "Hurry up."

"Can I see you as a wolf?"

"No!" his voice was louder than she was used to, causing Serena to jump in alarm. Paul immediately looked chagrined and let her go. She crawled out of his arms and sat back on the balls of her feet. He didn't acknowledge her questioning look. She poked him. He groaned. "Its not safe, Serena. I'm not being _adorable _when I say that you could get hurt. You know what happened to Emily."

"Yeah, but that happened because she was too close when Sam lost his temper, right?" Paul nodded stiffly. Serena rolled her eyes as Paul's grip on her hand tightened. "You won't hurt me, Paul," she assured him softly. "I know you won't. You need to trust yourself, and trust me too."

"I trust you," he answered, almost automatically. "But I don't always have control when I get angry."

"This isn't even about you changing in front of me, this is about realizing that you're not a monster," Serena inched closer until Paul wrapped an arm around her back, holding her against him. "You protect people, you'd never hurt anyone. Least of all me. Don't you believe that?"

He looked like he might give in, but suddenly his expression darkened and he shook his head firmly. It was more a denial of her request than a negation of what she had been saying, but Serena sighed nevertheless. Paul stood up and offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet and tugging her back towards the house. Serena didn't object. She had expected a similar reaction. It was obvious that he was afraid of hurting her, almost paranoid about it. She couldn't bring herself to fault him over such a reaction. How long had it been since someone had been that concerned for her? As a sign that she wasn't upset, she tugged on his arm so it was around her waist and leaned against his side as they walked. Paul immediately slowed down his pace and she felt his shoulders relax.

They reached Sam and Emily's house and Paul stopped outside the door. He folded his arms across his chest and gave her a withering look. "Can I trust you to not do anything stupid while I'm gone?"

Serena raised an eyebrow and mimicked his stance, leaning back against the wall. "You've got some nerve, calling me stupid."

"You ran out in the woods two days ago when I told you not to."

"I was mad at you!"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Just don't attract any crazy vampires, okay?"

Serena snorted. "Yeah, because crazy vampires are _totally _my type."

"They better not be," scowled Paul. He closed the distance between them and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He had intended for it to be quick, but Serena's arms had wrapped around his neck, holding him closer for a little longer.

She bit her lip when he gave her a look. "You'll be careful, right?"

"Yes," Paul kissed her cheek swiftly and untangled her arms from around his neck. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Serena didn't let him go. "Tomorrow?"

"I get home around dawn."

"Will you call me?"

"You'll be asleep."

"Can you text me?"

Paul smiled a little at her worried tone, his dark eyes softening. He reached down to kiss her softly, enjoying the feeling of elation that ran through him every time she responded to his touch. When he pulled back, her eyes were still closed. "I'll text you when I'm home," he promised, brushing her loose hair out of her eyes.

"Okay," Serena sighed and watched him jog away from her, back towards the forest. She bit her lip when he was out of sight and pulled open the door, walking in and rolling her eyes at the slight scuffle that came from the direction of the kitchen, which had a large window that clearly overlooked the doorway. "Stop spying on me," she said sourly as she entered. Embry pretended to be very interested in the wooden table, while Sam rolled his eyes. Emily was rummaging in the fridge and she gave Serena a sympathetic smile. Leah merely grinned. Serena noticed. "Shut up, Leah."

"I didn't say anything," Leah snickered and got up from her seat, looping her arm through Serena's and winking. "Come on. We have loads to talk about."

"We do?" Serena asked in confusion as Leah began tugging her upstairs. She followed willingly, ignoring the strangeness of the situation in which Leah was acting girly.

"We do," Leah pushed her into her room and collapsed onto the bed, making herself comfortable against the pillows. Serena sat down on the desk chair and raised an eyebrow, causing Leah to huff in annoyance. "Well? I want details!"

Serena snorted. "I'm not telling you anything. I know he can read your mind."

Leah frowned. "He told you that already? I thought he only kissed you last night?"

"He did. We were in the woods for a couple of hours today and he was answering my questions."

Leah perked up at that. "What kind of questions?"

"Nothing very important."

"Did you at least ask him why he ran away for a week?"

"He went to Tacoma for his mom's will-reading, but before that he avoided me because he had tried to kiss me and he didn't know if I wanted to see him again."

"And after that?"

Serena shrugged. "After that he stayed away because he realized he didn't have his phone for a couple of days and he knew I probably hated him. Nothing very dramatic, Leah, and nothing you don't already know."

"I just wanted to know if he told you the truth."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "If he had lied to me, would you have told me the truth?"

"Of course," Leah didn't even hesitate. "But you didn't ask me if he lied to you. You believe him?"

Serena tied her hair up in her customary ponytail and rested her feet on the bed, pulling her chair closer. "Yeah, I believe him. It's hard not to."

"Because he's in love with you?"

Serena ignored the sudden heat that rushed to her face and the way her heartbeat suddenly became erratic. "Funny, Leah. I don't think he's in love with me after barely a month of knowing me."

Leah snorted. "You're an idiot if you think that. But anyway," she changed the subject. "What else did you ask him?"

Realizing that Leah wouldn't leave her alone until she told her everything, Serena sighed and mentally prepared herself to school her reactions, not wanting Paul to have easy access to all her thoughts and opinions. "I asked him how he healed so fast when Jacob said he broke a few bones, that was a shocker."

Leah grinned. "Its wicked cool, that's what it is."

Serena made her face. "Nothing about this is cool, except for the fact that you guys can hear each other's thoughts."

"That doesn't make you uncomfortable?" Leah sounded surprised.

Serena shrugged. "I actually prefer the whole no secrets thing. I don't keep many things to myself, this way at least you guys don't have to worry about a he said she said situation, right?"

"I never thought about it that way," Leah looked impressed. "You're being really mature about this."

"Thanks?"

"It was a compliment," assured Leah. "What else?"

"Well," Serena blew air into her cheeks and let it out noisily, her reluctance to continue this discussion clear as day. "I asked him about you, I guess, since you're the only girl werewolf, and the whole-"

"-Sam thing?" Leah finished her sentence for her. Serena bit her lip, but the older girl merely smiled. "Don't worry about it, I understand why you're curious. Doesn't mean I like talking about it, though."

"I don't expect you to ever be okay with it, don't worry," Serena shrugged helplessly. "You love who you love, huh?"

"Pretty much. And I do love Emily," Leah laughed, a little grimly. "Its hard not to, isn't it?"

Serena smiled. "I love both of you."

"Thanks, Serena," Leah's smile was genuine for a few seconds, and then it became evil. "Anything else I should know?"

Serena groaned. "I asked him really stupid and obvious stuff, mostly about the legends."

"Did you ask him about the vampires?"

Serena winced at the name. "I think I know everything I need to about those things."

Leah's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

"Jacob told me about the Cullens and everything that happened last year. I'm really not interested in knowing more."

"You don't have to be scared," Leah's voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "The leeches won't hurt you. We won't let them."

"I know," Serena smiled at her friend, unwilling to discuss it further. "Have you got all your info now? I really want to get some sleep."

Leah nodded. She hopped off her bed willingly, but hesitated at the door. "I have the shift right after his tomorrow," she said finally. "If you're worried, or if you want to talk or anything, I'll be around."

Serena smiled tiredly. "Thanks, Lee-lee. Paul said he'd text me when he would be done with patrol though, but I'll keep that in mind."

"I'll phase early and remind him."

Serena giggled. "You're really happy about this, aren't you?"

Leah smirked. "I never really liked Kim. Good night, Serena."

* * *

**Just started university, hence the absence! Still trying to balance guys, sorry for the wait! Much love xx**


	16. Chapter 16

Serena bit her lip as she glanced at her phone for the tenth time since she had woken up. It was almost dawn, but Paul still hadn't called her. The front door had opened and closed a few minutes ago, which meant Sam's patrol was over and she knew they often did their rounds together. Paul's house wasn't too far, so there was no reason why he still hadn't gotten home. Maybe he had and he had forgotten to tell her. That would be typical of a boy. But every time she thought back to their conversation, of how he had smiled a little at her worried tone, she disregarded that thought. Paul would call her. He knew she worried.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed with a text alert. Serena grabbed it with shaking hands, quickly opening the message. It was him.

_P: Safe and sound. Told you not to worry._

She let out a breath she hadn't even known she'd been holding in. The sudden urge to see him was now overpowering, but she pushed it away and hurriedly wrote back.

_S: I'll always worry. Glad you're okay._

_P: Why the hell are you awake?_

Serena rolled her eyes. Of course, he would say that. Before she could reply, her phone buzzed again. He was calling her. Serena picked up immediately. "Hey."

"Hey," his voice was hoarse and he sounded exhausted. "You're supposed to be asleep."

"I fell asleep after you left," Serena lay back onto her bed and blew a strand of her hair out of her face. "I woke up a few hours ago and couldn't go back to sleep."

"Why?" there was the concern again. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," assured Serena. "I just didn't want to miss your call. You said sunrise."

She heard the bed creak in the background as he no doubt collapsed on it. "I sat outside your window for twenty minutes just now wondering if you were awake or not."

Serena's eyes widened and she glanced at her window quickly. It was closed and the curtains were drawn. "You were here?"

"Yeah, I followed Sam but he said if you were asleep he wouldn't let me in and there was no light on."

"I heard him come in and I freaked out because you didn't call me," Serena let out a short laugh. "You were here the whole time?"

"Yeah," he chuckled tiredly. "I wanted to see you."

Serena smiled at that. "Well, you _are _a mythical creature. Couldn't you just climb through my window or something?"

"And risk Sam banning me from the house?" Paul snorted. "No chance. Besides, I told you I'd text you."

The simplicity with which he said it left her speechless. She blinked. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten."

She could hear the frown in his voice. "I would never forget to do something like this."

"I know that now," Serena bit her lip to stop herself from smiling wider. "You should get some rest now, Paul, its really late."

"Nah, all that running gave me loads of energy."

Serena giggled. "Don't lie. You love sleeping after patrol. That was question two, remember?"

Paul chuckled again. "I remember. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Helping Emily cook for you pigs."

"Wolves," he corrected. "And after that?"

"I was going to hang around the house. Why?"

"You could come and hang around my house."

"Is this your way of asking me if I want to hang out with you?"

"Hang out, make out…" he trailed off and Serena laughed at his thoughtful tone. "Either one works for me."

"I'm sure we can do a bit of both," she smiled fondly, even though he couldn't see her. "Get some sleep."

She could tell by the silence at the other end of the line that he was about to protest, but a yawn cut him off and she giggled at his annoyed groan. "Sorry," he sounded more upset than it was worth.

"You don't have to be sorry," Serena switched off her bedside lamp and lay back onto her pillows, sighing. "I'm going to get some sleep too. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow," he agreed. "Good night, Serena. I lo-" he stopped talking abruptly.

Serena froze. She hadn't heard him properly, that was all. He _hadn't _been about to say what she thought he was going to. "What?" she squeaked.

"Uh, nothing," he coughed, so obviously fake that even Serena winced at the effort. "I'm just tired, sorry. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah," she let out a breath and ran a hand through her hair, a million things going through her brain. She would get no sleep that night, she was sure. "Night, Paul."

**!**

"You've made about five batches of those brownies, Serena, you're worrying me."

"Am I?" Serena gave Emily a frazzled smile before grabbing a rag off the stand and proceeding to wipe down the counter. "I'm fine, I promise."

"You need to relax," Emily snatched the rag from her hands and gave her a pointed look when she protested. "We can clean later. I made as much of a mess as you did, after all. Now, come on, we're going to go sit outside and talk."

To Emily's utter surprise, Serena merely collapsed onto one of the chairs at the dining table and buried her face in her hands. Worriedly, Emily sat down next to her and pulled her into a hug.

"What happened, baby?" her voice was so comforting, so motherly that Serena almost wanted to cry. "Was it Paul? Did he do something to hurt you? If he did-"

"He didn't do anything," protested Serena. She sighed and rested her head on Emily's shoulder. "Well, he did, but I'm not sure if he did."

"What do you mean?" asked Emily gently.

"Last night, he called me after he got back from patrol," a sneaking glance at her friend's face told Serena that this wasn't news to her. "So, we talked and he said he wanted to hang out with me today, which I get because he keeps saying he wants to take me out on a real date but because of the- the thing that's happened, he can't get the time, and I'm fine with that," she was rambling, she knew, but Emily's gaze remained patient. "Yeah, anyway, so it was all really normal and nice and in the end when I'm about to hang up he goes all good night and-and-and-" she groaned in frustration and buried her face back into her hands. "I don't know!"

"What don't you know?" Emily's tone remained soothing. "Honey, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong. Did he say something that upset you?"

"Em, I think he was going to say he _loves _me."

The silence that followed her statement made Serena glance up at Emily, who looked genuinely surprised. "Are you sure?"

"I can't think of anything else it could have been, and believe me, I've tried."

"And do you think he actually loves you?"

Serena gave her an incredulous look. "Emily! I've barely known him for a few months, how the hell am I supposed to know that?"

"You can always tell, Serena."

"_No_, you can't!" Serena rolled her eyes. "I can count on one hand the amount of people who have told me they love me, and none of them have been interested in me romantically! Don't you remember I dated Max Lowell for two years in high school and even _he _never told me he loved me? I'd known him since we were kids! And now _Paul_, out of nowhere, just-"

"Serena," Emily interrupted her firmly. "Honey, you're overreacting. For one, you're a wonderful person and for a smart boy it shouldn't take more than an hour to fall in love with you. Two, the fact that Paul _almost _said it instead of outright saying it should show that he's not making some stupid claim, as you seem to want to call it. And three, is this why you've been baking since dawn? Because the boy you're dating almost told you he's in love with you?"

Serena looked up at her with wide eyes, and Emily felt her heart ache of the girl opposite her, for what she would have to go through soon. "Its not that," she bit her lip and looked at her hands folded in her lap. "I- Emily, I _wanted _him to say it. As soon as he hung up, I was confused as hell, and I think he's an idiot for feeling that way already if he does, but…" she sighed and ran a hand through her hair in exasperation. "He makes me happy. He makes me laugh, and I swear after dad died I didn't think _any _guy could ever make me laugh. I was sick with worry last night when he was on patrol, I literally got next to no sleep and when he called me I just wanted to talk to him all night. Is that even _normal_?"

Emily hesitated. "No," she said finally. "But its okay. You deserve someone who makes you happy and looks after you. Paul's a hothead, Serena, but he would do anything for you, even I can see it."

Serena shook her head, her shoulder slumping in defeat as she looked at the polished table with vacant eyes. "I just wish I knew why," she mumbled to herself, but Emily heard her anyway.

"There are a million reasons why, and you'll find out soon," Emily stood up from her chair and stroked Serena's hair gently. "No more feeling bad, okay? If I guy likes you, just go with it. Isn't that what I always told you?"

"You always told me to keep pepper spray in my bag and scream if someone tried to touch my butt."

Emily's lips twitched. "You were thirteen, you idiot."

"I still feel thirteen."

"You're not a child, Serena, and I mean that in the nicest way possible," Emily kissed the top of her head. "You're a grown up, and grown ups fall in and out of love. If you don't want to talk to Paul about what you think he was about to say, don't. You have plenty of time."

"But I don't," Serena sighed. "Its really easy to forget, Em, but I don't live here. I have to go back to school in the fall."

"You can worry about that later," Emily's tone was firm. "Now get up and go get ready for lunch, I'll clean up here. You can clean up after," she added when Serena opened her mouth to protest. She frowned, but left the room obediently and went upstairs, falling face-forward onto her bed and squeezing her eyes shut, hoping to make up for the lost sleep. It didn't work. Her phone buzzed and she sat up tiredly, swiping her thumb across the screen to see a new message from Paul that immediately made her forget her previous irritation.

_P: Hey, beautiful. What are you upto?_

_S: Just finished baking. How'd you sleep?_

_P: Better than you. Sam said you looked like hell this morning. You okay?_

_S: I'm okay, don't worry. Still super tired. Maybe you should shift to the day patrol…_

_P: That would mean less opportunities to sneak out to the forest for your questions._

_S: You mean kisses. Lets not play around, Lahote._

_P: Okay, you got me. Do you want to hang out tomorrow night when you've slept better?_

_S: No, I'm hoping you won't bore me to sleep tonight. What time does patrol start?_

_P: Around 7 but I was coming to the house now._

_S: Sheesh, give a girl some warning! Bye, I need to go look decent._

_P: Does that mean you're indecent right now? _

_S: You will never know. See you xx_

**!**

Once the tray of brownies was precariously balanced on her palm, Serena bit her lip in concentration as she nudged the fridge shut with her hip and carefully made her way towards the dining table, which was already overflowing with the amount of food Emily had arranged onto it before disappearing into her room to change. Serena hadn't wanted to leave anything undone, so had taken it upon herself to set it up a little better, mostly so she could be sure to grab some food as well before the boys ate all of it. She finally set the tray down gently, inwardly sighing in relief when nothing broke.

Then she promptly let out a screech when someone grabbed her from behind.

"Ouch!" Embry groaned as she threw a kick at his shins and turned around, her hands already clenched into fists. He held up his hands in defence. "Hey, its me!"

Serena huffed and straightened up, ignoring his whimpers of pain. "What did you do that for? We have a vampire on the loose!"

"You really think a vampire would come near you?" Embry looked at her like she was insane. "You have our scent all over you! You're the last person they'd come to if they were feeling hungry, trust me!"

Serena groaned and fell back down in the chair behind her, ignoring Embry's sudden look of concern. "Way to kill a girl's appetite, Embry. I really didn't need a reminder about vampire diet plans."

"What happened?" Paul's voice floated in through the doorway, and Serena found her tense shoulders relaxing. It was a small movement, but Embry obviously noticed because he snorted and made his way out of the kitchen just as Paul came in. He gave him a worried look, but Embry merely rolled his eyes, muttering something about TV and a game that was on. Paul glanced at Serena, who gave him a smile. "You okay?"

"I'm great," her smile widened when he came closer and his hand found hers, pulling her up for a hug that immediately calmed her racing pulse and allowed her to sigh in contentment. "I missed you," she murmured, then blushed when she realized she had spoken without thinking.

Paul didn't seem to mind. "So did I," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. Serena kept her arms around him for a few more moments before finally pulling away, only to roll her eyes when she realized Paul had sneakily removed the elastic band from the end of her braid. He grinned at her look. "What?"

"You opened my hair again."

"Yup," he grinned wider, bending down slightly so their faces were level. "So I could do this," he closed the distance between their lips, relishing the feel of her soft mouth against his own. He ran his fingers through her hair, undoing the braid completely and groaning into her mouth when she grabbed fistfuls of his shirt to pull him closer. He backed her up to the kitchen island and lifted her up onto it, not caring that Emily or someone could walk in any minute and see them. He wasn't very patient, he never had been, and the fact that he had gone almost a full day without seeing his imprint's face had kept him in a foul mood until he had entered the house, when her scent had hit him like a truck and caused him to feel an unfamiliar tug in his chest. That tug turned into a stab when he heard her yell as Embry surprised her, and now it was gone, replaced with a feeling of contentment and other sappy things he didn't want to dwell on, because if there was one thing he loved more than Serena's cooking, it was her lips.

He had just found a particularly smooth lock of her hair and was busy twisting it around his fingers when he felt her pull back slowly from his lips, but only an inch. "If someone walks in-" she started to speak, but her voice was breathy and her lips were swollen and Paul decided to ignore her, dipping his head to kiss her skin, deciding that there was probably not an inch of her that didn't taste as sweet as the rest of her. The thought of how she would taste in _other _places made him growl slightly, his teeth raking against her neck and causing her to gasp, her nails digging into his forearms where she had clamped her hands. "_Paul!"_ she hissed, finally causing him to pull back completely. Her face was flushed, causing him to immediately wonder why he had stopped kissing her in the first place. Oh, right. Public place.

"I'd say sorry, but I'm not," he smirked, his hands still tangled in her hair. She glared, but it was half-hearted. Her chest was still heaving as she tried to catch her breath. "You okay, sweetheart?" he asked innocently, his hands shifting from her hair to her waist so he could lift her off the counter and back onto the floor.

He saw her lips twitch at the endearment, mentally deciding to use it for often if it made her smile. She rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck, reaching up on tip-toe to press a slightly more appropriate kiss to his cheek. "Karma's a bitch, Lahote," she murmured into his ear, causing him to let out another, in her opinion absolutely _delicious, _growl. "Just remember that."


	17. Chapter 17

"Whipped," coughed Embry as he came up next to a smiling Paul, catching him staring not-so-subtly at Serena as she played with Claire.

Paul gave him a sour look. "Screw you."

Embry snorted. "Get laid, bro. You're pining."

Paul's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists. Embry looked uncomfortable at the gesture. "Your crush on my imprint would be cute, Embry, if it wasn't so fucking annoying," growled Paul. "Get out of my face before I knock your teeth out."

Embry looked like he wanted to say something, but he merely scowled and walked away, passing by the two girls. Serena looked up, caught sight of his face and frowned. Her eyes automatically zeroed in on Paul and his expression, causing her frown to fade and a sigh to escape her. She kissed Claire on top of her head and got up, moving towards him. Paul avoided her gaze pointedly, knowing what was coming.

"You really shouldn't frown so much, you'll get wrinkles," her tone was teasing as she leaned against his arm, smiling up at him when he glanced at her. "You okay?"

"Fine," he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. He saw Sam glance at him worriedly, but he merely shook his head discreetly to say he was fine. The rest of the wolves worried that his anger would get the better of him and he'd end up hurting Serena, but the slightest touch of her hand made his anger disappear completely. Even now, he felt slightly guilty for what he had said to Embry.

"You're not fighting with Embry because of me, are you?" Serena turned around in his arms, her eyes wide and confused. "Because the last thing I want to do is come between you guys, Paul, I've barely been here a few weeks and-"

"Its not you," he reassured her immediately. It was a lie, of course, he knew he wouldn't be so defensive of a crass joke if anyone else had said it, but he knew Embry's feelings for Serena weren't exactly platonic all the way through. He would never _do _anything, because they were brothers and pack loyalty came first, but he also knew that if he hadn't imprinted on her, she would be fair game.

"Then what is it?" she frowned. "Did he say something?"

"He didn't say anything, babe," Paul leaned down and caught her lips in a soft kiss, not caring that they were in the middle of Sam and Emily's very crowded living room and almost everyone was staring at them. Of course, Serena noticed and she cared because she pulled back all too soon, her face bright red. Paul chuckled, bumping his nose against hers affectionately. "Sorry."

"You're asking for it."

"You're cute, I can't help it."

Serena rolled her eyes, but her lips twitched. "Right. Good reasoning," Paul merely hummed in reply, resting his forehead against hers. "When's your patrol?"

"I've got a few hours. Why?"

Serena shrugged. "No reason. Don't you have days off?"

"Yeah, when Sam thinks one of us is about to crash from sleep," Paul snorted. "He isn't very lenient."

"Specially not with the new vampire on the loose."

"You're not worried about that, are you?" automatically, his grip tightened on her. "You don't have to be. We'll never let him close enough to the Rez, and I won't let him touch you, I promise."

"I'm not worried," assured Serena. "I was just wondering if its always like this or just now."

Paul shrugged. "Depends on Sam. I don't really know how it works. I never had a reason to _want _to skip patrol until now," he said pointedly.

Serena blushed. "Never?"

Paul shook his head, smiling slightly when he felt her pulse speed up at his admission. "I never wanted to spend this much time with another girl."

"So with another guy then?" her wide eyes went from wicked to innocent in a second, but Paul noticed. He snorted at her joke, twirling a lock of her hair around his fingers and giving her a pointed look. She giggled. "Got you to stop being mad, didn't it?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but then closed it immediately. Serena knew they often lost control when they were angry, it was one of the first things Sam had explained to her when she found out. His advice had been to get away as soon as the shaking started, but Paul had been in his head and he had noticed Serena's face when he said that. Her eyes had flickered to the ground immediately and she had nodded, but the lack of eye contact told Paul everything he had to know: she wasn't planning on taking the advice.

"I've told you, you can get hurt," Paul fought to remain calm, very aware of the delicate girl in his arms. The last thing he wanted to do was explode into a ball of fur and prove Sam and the whole pack right. Or worse, he'd hurt her. The thought made him physically ill. "You really shouldn't be doing this, Serena."

Serena smiled softly and stood on her toes to press a kiss to his jaw. "You're not going to hurt me," she murmured softly. "Now stop being such an idiot and lets go."

"Go?" the feeling of her lips distracted him from the conversation they were supposed to be having. "Go where?"

Serena smirked. "I did say karma's a bitch."

**!**

"That's his first day of pre-school, he had just lost his front tooth and he said that Rachel Black wouldn't like him anymore."

Serena snorted. "Jake's sister?"

Dave nodded, his normally solemn eyes alight with mischief. "Had the biggest crush on her, she was two years older and had the shiniest hair on the reservation, apparently. Or was that Rebecca?" he grinned up at Paul. "Which one was it?"

Serena giggled, glancing up to see Paul throw his father a dirty look from where he was sprawled out on the couch. Serena ran a hand through her hair and winked at Paul, causing his lips to twitch. "Is my hair shiny enough for you, Paul?"

"You're perfect," his answer was so automatic it made Serena blink, but neither Paul nor his father seemed surprised by his words. "And I was a kid, cut me some slack. Dad, I can't believe you have all this crap."

"When you become a father, boy, I'd like to see you throw away anything. You can barely toss your clothes into the laundry hamper," Dave rolled his eyes, patting Serena's hand when she glared at Paul for his rudeness. Groaning and realizing he wouldn't win, Paul got up and left for the kitchen, mumbling something about food. Dave chuckled. "Don't worry, Serena, he's always like this."

Serena frowned. "He's horrible. You're such a great dad."

"He wouldn't be this grumpy if you weren't using me as an excuse to get him to keep his hands to himself," Dave chuckled at her mortified expression. "I had explicit instructions not to be home today, you caught me just as I was leaving," Serena spluttered, trying to speak, but Dave merely raised a hand to silence her. "We will never speak of this again. Would you like to stay for dinner? I'm no Emily in the kitchen, but I have some skills, and Paul won't go to patrol hungry."

"That would be nice," Serena gave him a grateful smile, relieved that there would be no awkwardness. Dave smiled and got up, heading towards the kitchen. As soon as he left, Paul came back in, a glass of water in his hands. Serena swiped it and took a sip, ignoring the way Paul rolled his eyes as he sat down behind her, pulling her into his lap. They had arrived at his house over an hour ago, and had in fact caught his father leaving. However, Serena wouldn't hear of it, declaring she had specifically come to spend time with _him_, giving Paul an innocent smile that made him want to strangle her and also kiss her. They had ended up chatting in the living-room, and Serena had commented on the amount of pictures in the house. That was all it took for David Lahote to break out the photo albums and treat Serena to a brief history of their family, beginning with his marriage. Serena laughed and cooed at all the right places, and as annoyed as Paul was to be cock-blocked by his own father, he couldn't help but smile when he watched her. It was obvious she liked his dad, and Dave already had a soft spot for her. Living with his dad ever since he could remember meant that they argued, fought, sometimes went days without talking, but Paul knew the amount his father had sacrificed for him was more than he could ever repay. If giving up one evening alone with his imprint meant he got to see the two most important people in his life laugh, even if it was at his expense, he was okay with that.

"You were so cute," Serena's quiet voice drew him out of his musing. She had a picture of him in her hands, in his mom's arms. She was smiling up at the camera, both arms wrapped securely around his middle as he gave a toothy smile at whoever was taking the picture, probably his dad.

"I'm still cute," Paul nudged her softly, noticing that her eyes looked a little sad. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she smiled up at him quickly before putting the picture back into the box that Dave had taken out. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"My dad," she shrugged, as if it was no big deal, but her back tensed even as she kept talking. "Your dad's a lot like him, you know. Except maybe your dad's funnier," Serena snorted. "Mine couldn't crack a good joke, no matter how hard he tried."

At a loss for words, Paul squeezed her waist. "He sounds great."

"He was. Anyway," she gave him another smile and gently untangled his arms from around her, gathering the boxes and albums and moving to put them back into the cupboard she had seen Dave take them out of. "We should help your dad, he invited me to stay for dinner."

Paul resisted the urge to groan, merely nodded and held the door open as she deposited her load inside the small closet. He should just kiss her senseless so she could forget about whatever revenge/karma plan she had in her mind, but the look in her eyes stopped him. He didn't know if it was about her little scheme anymore, it seemed more about her desire to be around him _and _someone who could be considered a father figure. His heart hurt at the thought of the pain she had probably gone through when her dad died, and the pain she undoubtedly went through every time she saw him with his own father, someone whom he had always taken for granted.

"You're shaking," her soft whisper drew him out of his thoughts again. Her hands were on his arms, holding him in place even as his eyes widened and he realized how close she was to his trembling form. "Hey, calm down," she soothed, one hand shifting to caress his face. "You're not going to hurt me, we both know that. Just calm down."

He hadn't even realized how upset the thought of her pain made him. Closing his eyes, he focused on her touch, her soft voice, and finally felt his anger fade. His eyes opened and he stared at her in awe, unable to believe he had actually managed to calm down just because she had asked him to. She was smiling. "Told you," she gave him a quick kiss and tugged on his hand, jerking her head towards the kitchen. "Lets eat."

**!**

_"__You don't get it, Leah_," Paul replayed the image that had been stuck in his mind since he had phased, allowing the girl to see Serena's eerily calm face as she told him to calm down, the way she hadn't even flinched when he had begun to shake. _"She's way too calm about it."_

_"__She trusts you, you idiot," _Leah threw him some images of her own, of both girls sitting in Serena's bedroom as Leah asked if she was sure that Paul had told her the truth, and Serena's unwavering gaze as she said that she was. _"Don't ask me why, personally I wouldn't, but she does. She's your imprint, she knows you wouldn't ever hurt her."_

_"__Its not that," _Paul's thoughts were frustrated. _"Its like she has no sense of self-preservation. The angrier I get, the closer she comes. Its not okay, Leah. I'll hurt her one day."_

_"__You won't, don't worry about it."_

_"__What if I do?"_

Leah sighed. _"I'll talk to her next time I see her, warn her a bit more about how dangerous it is."_

_"__Thanks."_

_"__Why can't you do this yourself, remind me?"_

_"__I've tried," _groaned Paul. _"She doesn't listen, not when it comes to this. I can't argue with her, Leah, I want to keep her safe because I don't want to lose her, and if I keep telling her what to do-"_

_"__She's not going to run away, you dumbass," _Leah snorted. _"She doesn't even know she's your imprint and even I can tell she's crazy about you. Speaking of which, when do you plan to tell her _that _part?"_

Paul winced. _"Soon."_

_"__You don't exactly have time to wine, dine and woo her, Paul, she has to leave soon. She needs to know."_

_"__I'll tell her soon, just not yet."_

_"__Oh no," _Leah groaned, clearly seeing what Paul was intending to do. _"You're going to try and make her stay without saying anything and then spring it on her?"_

_"__I don't want her to feel like she has to."_

_"__She _does _have to, you idiot!"_

_"__Let me do this my way, Leah."_

_"__Fine. Just remember, the longer you wait, the more pissed she'll be. If you're not scared of that, you're an even bugger idiot than I thought you were."_

_"__Trust me, I'm scared."_


	18. Chapter 18

"He's not going to hurt me, Leah."

"He doesn't _want _to, but he might."

Serena rolled her eyes as she finished packing her camera bag. "Did he tell you to say this to me? He better have a good reason for not doing it himself."

"He didn't tell me to do anything, but I can read his mind and I know what he was thinking. Serena, he isn't a big, fluffy puppy that will snap and bite at you sometimes when he's in a bad mood," Leah's hand grabbed Serena's arm as she made to walk away, forcing the other girl to stop and listen. "You can't be stupid about this, okay? Its nothing against you, its only to keep you safe."

"He won't hurt me," was all Serena said, patting Leah's hand and continuing to walk out the door. "I'm going to take pictures on the beach with Quil and Claire, do you want to come?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "I mean it, Serena. And no, I'm going to sleep."

"On my bed?" Serena looked amused.

Leah shrugged. "Its closer to the food."

Serena laughed. "Have a nice nap, then. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Does Paul know where you are?"

Serena sighed. "He's asleep, and I don't want to wake him. He'll call me when he wakes up, and I'll meet up with him then. Is that okay, _mom_?"

Leah merely flipped her off, collapsing onto the bed and punching the pillow to get comfortable. Serena rolled her eyes and ran down the stairs, giving Emily a quick kiss on the cheek and messing up Sam's hair as she darted out the door. Quil's truck was parked outside, Claire strapped in the back in a car-seat and Embry sitting up front. Serena slid in next to Claire, giving her a kiss and grinning at the two boys. "Morning!"

Embry managed to give her a smile, but Quil's eye twitched. "Loud," he merely stated flatly, backing out of the house and heading towards the beach. "Its too early for this."

"Its almost noon," pointed out Serena. "And _you _were the one who said we should meet up early because you were babysitting."

"I think what he means is that he can only take one person's noise at a time," said Embry.

"Whose being noisy?" Serena blinked in confusion, then her gaze settled on Claire, who grinned up at her. "Oh, its you. I see," she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hey, Claire-bear, do you want to sing a song?"

Embry laughed as Quil groaned, muttering something about imprinting as the two girls in the back burst into a rendition of an Aladin song.

**!**

"Thanks for coming with me, Quil," Serena threw the other boy a quick smile as she fiddled with her camera. "I know you guys hate it when someone crashes your sleep schedule."

Quil grinned and shook his head. "Let Paul's girl go around La Push without an escort? Wouldn't dream of it."

Serena rolled her eyes good-naturedly, resisting the blush that crept up her neck. She focused her camera back on the rocks, noting that the setting sun wouldn't give her much more natural light before she'd have to stop shooting completely. Embry and Claire were both out cold in the corner on a picnic blanket, and she had gotten some delicious shots of Embry with a bring pink teddy bear lying on his chest. Quil had agreed to help her bake brownies for a week if she gave him the pictures before showing Embry.

"Where is he, anyway?" asked Quil, frowning slightly. "At this rate, it'll almost be time for his patrol."

Serena blinked. "You're right," she handed her camera to Quil and, without waiting for him to respond, dug her phone out of her back pocket and jogged a little further away. There were no texts or calls, so Paul hadn't tried to contact her. They had spoken briefly in the afternoon, when he had apparently woken up to grab something to eat. She had told him where she was and who she was with, but she doubted he had understood since he had genuinely sounded half asleep. She had assured him she would be home safely before dark, he had mumbled something about hating Sam, and had abruptly hung up, no doubt asleep on the phone.

Still, his lack of communication made her uncomfortable. Biting her lip, she quickly dialled his number and waited for it to ring. He picked up immediately. _"Hey, beautiful,"_ he sounded a little groggy, but otherwise awake. _"I was just about to come find you."_

Serena let out a sigh of relief, too quiet for him to hear. "You liar, I know you just woke up," she teased.

Paul chuckled. "_Okay, you got me. But you sounded like you were having fun."_

"I would have had more fun if you'd have come too," she sank down onto the soft sand, running her fingers through it idly. "You have patrol soon."

_"__Nah,"_ he sounded strangely smug. _"I don't patrol every night."_

"You don't?"

_"Not for now__,"_ she heard movement and a door slam, and guessed he was probably on his way out the house. _"There are always two of us out here, I told you, these days its more because of the leech, but Seth's been taking a few nights off so he said he'd fill in for me for a few days."_

"Oh," Serena felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Where are you?"

_"__Depends on where you are. Still at the beach?"_

"Yeah, but…" Serena squinted back at the three figures settled onto the blanket a few feet away from her. "I don't want to stay long, I've finished what I had to do. Can you pick me up?"

_"__Sure. Where do you want to go?"_

"Anywhere," Serena walked back towards her friends and grinned as she saw Quil carefully placing a starfish on Embry's neck. "See you in a few?"

_"__Ten minutes,"_ said Paul, and hung up. Serena stuffed her phone back into her pocket and bent down to gather her things, carefully placing her equipment back into her camera bag. As she stood up, Quil glanced up at her.

"Paul on his way?" Serena nodded. Quil ran a hand through his hair. "You're going to make me double babysit now?"

Serena giggled. "Sorry."

Quil shrugged. "Claire I can handle. She doesn't demand food every five minutes," he glared at Embry's sleeping form.

"You're one to talk," Serena snorted. "You demand food just as much as Embry does."

"Yeah, but I'm cuter," Quil winked, and Serena laughed harder. He shushed her hurriedly, gesturing wildly to the sleeping duo on the blanket. Serena bit her lip to stop herself from laughing harder at the look of genuine terror on Quil's face as Claire grumbled in her sleep. However, she merely turned around and drifted off again. He sighed in relief. "That was close."

"For someone who adores her so much, the thought of taking care of her really does freak you out," noted Serena in amusement.

Quil shrugged. "She's a special kid, and kids don't always like me. I don't want to do anything that upsets her. When she's asleep, she can't be upset, right?"

Serena shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess. I never really liked her mom," she added. "We were neighbours when I was in high school, but she was always a couple of years older than Emily and my sister so I hardly ever saw her. The one time I did, her and Emily were fighting."

Quil sighed. "Yeah, Emily mentioned that. They get along better now, I mean, she lives here after all. But Emily and Claire are really close."

"Emily loves kids," Serena rolled her eyes. "I swear, the day she offered to babysit me was the day she was ready to become a mom."

Quil chuckled. The sound of a truck pulling up near the edge of the beach made both of them glance behind, where Paul's car was parked. He honked once, obviously unwilling to move. Quil rolled his eyes. "His highness is summoning you."

Serena snorted. "He's lucky I haven't seen him since yesterday, this summoning thing wouldn't go over well if that wasn't the case. Thanks again, Quil," she gave him a quick, one-armed hug and struggled to her feet. "I'll see you soon?"

"Bye, Serena," called Quil. Serena waved and jogged towards the now familiar truck, opening the backseat door first and carefully depositing her bags. She heard Paul chuckle as she closed the door and opened the passenger side one. She got in and turned to say hello, only to find his lips firmly pressed against hers before she could get a word in.

Serena let out a squeak of surprise, but quickly melted into his embrace as Paul's warm hands reached up to yank her hair out of its ponytail. She giggled as her hair tickled her neck, and Paul merely tugged her closer. Next thing she knew, Serena was straddling him, pushing his body back against his seat. One of his hands remained in her hair, and the other drew lazy patterns across her back as he moved his mouth lower, slowly pressing kisses against her neck. Serena tried to avoid mewling in pleasure, but it was difficult since his lips felt _amazing _against her skin. Her nails dug into his forearms as his lips grazed a particularly sensitive spot near her pulse point, and she could have sworn she heard him growl before his caresses turned into sharp nips.

"_Paul_!" Serena finally managed to gasp out, and even though he made no move to stop what he was doing, his body language told her he was listening. "_Stop_."

"Don't want to," he murmured, his lips spreading a trail of heat up her skin as they finally came to rest at the corner of her mouth. He smirked when he felt her flushed cheeks. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Fine," she ground out, ignoring the way her heart skipped a beat at the endearment. Ass, he probably knew he would have that effect on her. If his slight chuckle was any indication, he had obviously done it on purpose.

"If you're fine, you won't mind if I continue," he attached his mouth to her neck again, sucking gently on the spot that had caused her to gasp earlier. Serena groaned at the feeling, her fingers once again clawing at his arms when she felt his tongue glide against her skin to soothe the aching spot. Paul's growl was unmistakable this time as he removed his mouth from her neck and attacked her lips hungrily, his hands moving from her back to her hips. Her shirt had ridden up when she wrapped her arms around his neck, and she had expected his hands to touch her stomach, their warmth more comforting than surprising now. However, she was surprised to find that they didn't. His thumbs gently massaged her sides, but his hands stayed firmly on her hips, not moving upwards. Serena didn't have time to be confused, however, since her phone's shrill ringing interrupted their kiss and caused her to jump with fright.

Paul laughed outright at her expression, snatching her phone from where she had left it on the passenger seat and pressing a quick kiss to her nose when she pouted. "Its yours, not mine," he reminded her, holding out the phone. Serena rolled her eyes and took it from him, glancing at the caller ID questioningly. She frowned, but didn't move, merely adjusted herself a little so she was seated sideways on Paul's lap. Resting her head against his chest, she answered the call. "Hey, Beth."

_"__Hey, baby girl," _Paul's wolf hearing picked up the voice at the other end of the line, and he wondered if Serena knew he could hear everything. She didn't seem to care, however, since she made no effort to move from her current spot. _"How's everything going?"_

"Fine, great. I tried calling you twice."

_"__I know, I was doing an assignment once and then I think I was at dinner with the girls. Sorry, you know I always call back."_

"Yeah, I know," her voice didn't sound as cheery as it normally did. It was flat and there was an edge to it that Paul was unfamiliar with. "How's mom?"

_"__Impossible as ever. You said you'd come down for the weekend."_

"I know, I've been busy," Paul raised his eyebrows at her statement. He had no idea she had been planning on going home. "I'll come soon. Is everything okay?"

_"__Its all good, sis, don't worry about it," _Beth was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. _"Aren't you going to ask?"_

"Ask what?" Serena's voice sounded resigned.

_"__If I've been using?"_

"I don't know, Beth. Have you?"

_"__Why are you even asking me when I promised I wouldn't?"_

"You asked me to ask you, that's why."

_"__Well, I haven't_," Beth sounded smug. _"Its been a month now."_

"That's good," Serena's lips twitched. "I have to go now, Beth, I'm out with a friend. I'll call you again, tomorrow, okay?"

_"__Sure. Tell Emily I love her, would you?"_

"I will," promised Serena. "Bye."

Beth said goodbye and hung up, and Serena tossed her phone onto the passenger side seat. She didn't move, though, and Paul suspected it was a bad idea to interrupt her thoughts. She wasn't small, by any means; her legs went on forever and her build was athletic, but her curves were soft and right now, as she curled up against his chest, Paul suddenly didn't want to let her go at all. He snaked his arms around her, resting his chin on top of her head. He felt her smile at the gesture as she looked up and pressed a soft kiss to his jaw. "Hey."

"Hi," he replied, ducking his head and stealing another kiss. She giggled, and he smiled, relieved to find that her mood wasn't dampened. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Serena untangled herself from his arms, climbing back into the passenger seat and tucking her phone back into her bag. "That was my sister, by the way," Paul merely hummed in reply as he started the car and backed out of the lot, unwilling to tell her he had heard everything in case she was uncomfortable with it. However, she didn't seem to mind. "You heard everything, right? I don't have to explain much?"

"Not much," answered Paul slowly.

Serena nodded. "She did drugs, for quite a few months before my dad died. When he did, she said she'd stop, but her withdrawal was really bad and she tore our house apart. We didn't want to tell my mom she was using, so we pretended she had anger management issues. I think I even told you that," Paul nodded, remembering their conversation in his dad's garage. "Yeah, well, even Emily doesn't know. And Sam, if you're listening to this, don't tell her!" she added loudly.

Paul snorted. "Seriously?"

"What?" Serena shrugged. "You guys can read minds, can't you?"

"I'm not going to think about this when I'm with them if you don't want me to, Serena," said Paul gently. He reached for her hand and squeezed it, relieved when she squeezed back. "Its not like we can never keep secrets." The last thing he wanted was for her to not tell him something important because she thought the whole pack would find out.

"Oh," Serena was quiet for a second. "So, if you avoid thinking about what just happened, they won't know we just made out like sixteen year olds in your truck?"

Paul snorted. "Yeah, but do you really expect me _not _to think about it?" Serena smacked his arm playfully, causing him to laugh. "I won't if you don't want me to," he promised. Serena looked appeased at that, and he smiled. "Happy?"

"Always," she threw him a quick grin. "Where are we off to now?"

Paul shrugged. "Wherever you want to go, I guess. I've got tomorrow off too."

"Good, then I won't feel bad about making you drive for hours."

"We're driving for hours?"

"No, we're going to get something to eat first because I'm sure you're hungry," Paul grinned sheepishly, and Serena giggled. "I'll think of something later. Where do you want to go?"

"Its not too late to go to Sam and Emily's," he nodded to the clock on the dashboard, which read seven p.m.

Serena rolled her eyes. "Or _I _could cook for you, if you don't try and kick your dad out of the house again."

Paul smirked. "Won't have to. He's in Seattle for the weekend."

Serena pretended to ignore his knowing smile and the heat that suddenly rushed to her cheeks. "Is he? That's a shame."

Paul hummed in reply, and Serena realized they were barely a few minutes away from his house. A quick glance at his face made her stomach do flips. She doubted she was going to get much cooking done.

**!**

"Paul, stop."

"No."

"Paul-"

"Shut up," Paul gave her another hungry kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. "I kept my hands off you while you did God knows what in that kitchen, now you're _mine_," he growled the last word out possessively and began peppering kisses along her collarbone, relishing in her soft gasp as he nuzzled her neck affectionately.

"I wasn't going to tell you to stop completely," she said, her voice slightly breathy as he continued to lazily press kisses against her neck. "I was going to say at least let me sit down."

Paul snorted and pulled away slightly so he could look at her face. She was chewing on her lower lip thoughtfully, but her hands were still clamped onto his arms. She raised an eyebrow when he continued to stare. "See something you like?"

"I usually do," he grinned and kissed her again, angling her body so he could pick her up around the waist and deposit her on the kitchen island. Serena squeaked in surprise, but Paul muffled any sounds of protest she could have made by kissing her again, this time slowly. He would be lying to himself if he said kissing her hadn't been on his mind since Seth had first called and offered to do his shifts for the next few days so Paul could hang out with Serena more. In fact, he suspected Leah had something to do with it, probably in order to convince him to tell her about the imprint sooner. He wanted to, but right now her nails were scraping against his scalp and she was making those quiet, breathy sounds that always made him want to throw her over his shoulder and take her against the nearest flat surface.

But he resisted. Pulling back from the kiss that was admittedly getting more heated than he had intended, he couldn't help but smirk at her slightly dazed expression. "You're sure you're okay, sweetheart?" As expected, he felt her pulse race when he used the endearment. Her cheeks turned a light pink, and she merely nodded a little. His grin grew wider. "Wolf got your tongue?" he asked teasingly.

That caused her to roll her eyes. "Oh, you're real funny," she glared. "I bet you enjoy that, don't you?"

"I do," he bumped their noses affectionately. "And if you keep dressing like this, don't expect me to keep my hands off," he added, his fingers trailing up from her knees to her thighs, stopping just below where her shorts ended. Serena's eyes darkened at that, and Paul had no doubt she would have kissed him again and _then _his control wouldn't have been particularly good, if her phone hadn't gone off.

She scowled. "Do people have a radar for when we're together or something?" she growled. Paul chuckled as she complained, picking her up off the counter and depositing her on the floor so she could go fetch her phone from the living room. "I swear, nobody calls or texts me this much when you're not around," her voice floated into the kitchen, and Paul merely grabbed her half-finished can of Coke off the counter and followed her into the other room. She was curled up on the sofa, obviously replying to a text. She looked up and gave him a brilliant smile when she saw that her drink was in his hand, and for about thirty seconds he was sure he halted and simply stared at her, sure he had stopped breathing. It still hit him hard every time she looked at him, how completely in love with her he was. It wasn't even just because she was breathtakingly gorgeous or because she was his soul-mate, he realized as he sat down next to her and drew her into his arms. Everything felt natural with her, as if it was how it was supposed to be. He couldn't be sure if she felt it too, but sometimes he caught the little glances she would throw at him, and her obsessive fear that he would get hurt certainly pointed towards the favourable outcome.

"You're all quiet suddenly," Serena put her phone down and glanced up at him questioningly. "What are you think about, Lahote?"

"You," answered Paul automatically. Her brows furrowed in confusion, and he mentally kicked himself for letting the always-tell-your-imprint-the-truth spell affect him once more. "Who was that from?" he quickly asked, nodding to her phone.

Fortunately, Serena was easily distracted. Her eyes lit up. "It was from the boxing instructor in Seattle. I used to go for classes during the summers, and I'm not too bad, so he asked if I'd be interested in taking on a class for beginners during the weekdays if I plan to go back to college after the summer."

The realization that she wouldn't be with him for long made Paul wince slightly, but he controlled the urge to beg her to stay. Too soon, he told himself firmly. Instead, he plastered an interested look on his face. "That sounds great. What did you tell him?"

Serena shrugged and settled back into his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. "Well, if it can be according to my classes and stuff I don't see why not. I could use the money, and I really like teaching."

"You like photography too," pointed out Paul.

Serena sighed. "Yeah, but I can't make a career out of that. Its not what my mom would approve of, anyway. She didn't even like boxing until she realized I needed some kind of extracurricular activity to look good on my college applications."

Paul hummed in agreement. "Your mom sounds smart."

Serena snorted. "She is, trust me."

Paul waited for her to say more, but she didn't, merely grabbed the remote off the coffee table in front of them and switched on the TV. Not talking about her mom was obviously normal for her, and he doubted anyone ever questioned it. However, he wasn't just anyone. "Do you guys not get along?" he asked.

Serena looked up at him, her eyes unreadable. "No," she said simply. "But she's my mom, and she pays my bills and she makes sure I'm always happy. I'd be an idiot not to do what she says."

"But it doesn't make you happy," said Paul slowly. "You do it because it makes _her _happy?"

Serena smiled softly. "I like medicine. I did always want to be a doctor, but I think the way my mom went about it, sort of backing me into a corner and not really letting me love the job I wanted to do made me convince myself that I was just doing it for her. I can't do stuff by halves," her eyes were glinting now, and she was speaking faster, as if her thoughts were running away from her. "When I love something, I _really _love something and I put everything into it. I love photography, and I travelled a lot when I first started liking it, I'd take pictures of everyone and everything and I got really good at it because of that. I loved the idea of being a doctor too. I trained at a veterinary clinic in Seattle, I have basic first aid training and I volunteered for all sorts of charities and clinics, but I did all that because my mom told me to," she let out a small sigh. "I probably sound so ungrateful, but I wish she had let me fall in love with it on my own, you know?"

And Paul did know, he realized with a pang. The way she talked about medicine, how she was expected to do it without developing a love for it made him think about being a Quilete, and what that meant for his future. He loved his people, his land, but he wished he had had the choice of protecting it instead of being born with a gene that activated as soon as the leeches came back. He didn't want to tell her that yet, though, he decided when he saw the fire leave her eyes. So he merely wrapped an arm securely around her and allowed her to curl up against his chest, their thoughts on anything but the TV in front of them.


	19. Chapter 19

Two weeks passed in a blur of babysitting, cooking and, in Serena's case, working. Her final project was due a month later, and she had finally collected all the pictures she needed. Ignoring the fact that the completion of her project meant she would have to return home, she took advantage of Paul's considerably lighter patrol schedule and went everywhere with him. She knew Emily found it adorable, and she was sure she had been the one to convince Sam to give Paul a less hectic schedule so they could spend more time together.

"What else do you need?" Paul's voice drew her out of her thoughts, and she glanced at the driver's seat to see him frowning in concentration as he navigated the car through the torrents of rain. His scowl didn't make her feel better: it was a miracle he could see anything. "Serena?"

"Right, sorry," Serena tucked her hair behind her ear and flipped through her list anxiously. "Umm, I think I'm done for now. We can make it back to Sam and Emily's for dinner, right?"

"Yeah," Paul didn't take his eyes off the road. "You sure you don't need more ink and stuff?"

"Nah, I'm good, don't worry about it," Serena stuffed the paper back into her bag and lifted her knees to hug them to her chest. "Should we stop and wait for the rain to clear?"

Paul's frown softened. He reached out a hand and Serena grasped it automatically. "I've driven in worse, don't worry," he threw her a quick smile before his eyes flickered to the road again. His grip on her hand remained strong.

Serena sighed in relief and settled back against the seat quietly. She would be an idiot to doubt Paul. For the past month, he had done nothing but prove to her time and time again that he was perfect for her in every way. More than that, he had done everything in his power to keep her safe. There were no vampires near Forks anymore, and the patrol schedule had gone back to normal, which meant she saw him more often than she had initially been used to. He catered to her every whim: if she wanted to drive to Seattle to pick up supplies for her project, Paul wouldn't ask if she wanted him to come along, he'd ask what time he should pick her up. It was heart-warming, to say the least, to finally have someone who listened to her every word and looked at her the way Sam looked at Emily, or even the way Jared looked at Kim. It was perfect.

Too perfect.

Even though Serena knew everything there was to know about the wolves – thanks to Paul's obvious inability to keep secrets from her – she was sure she was missing something. Unlike the rest of the pack, she hadn't grown up with the legends. Her association with Emily and Leah was the only reason she knew as much as she had before they had told her the truth, and yet she still felt she was missing something. It irked her, because she wasn't used to being kept in the dark so obviously. She played with the idea of asking Paul about it, but dismissed that thought eventually. He hadn't kept any secrets from her so far, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable by pushing her luck. Everyone was entitled to a few secrets. She had enough of her own to respect his.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling. As they finally pulled up in front of Sam and Emily's house, Serena indicated that they should leave her shopping bags in the car, not wanting to risk getting her equipment wet. Paul nodded in acknowledgement and they ran for cover, Serena bursting into giggles as soon as they hit the porch at Paul's look of disgust as he shook water out of his hair. He noticed her laugh and growled playfully, pinning her against the wall and giving her a quick kiss. Serena scrunched up her nose in distaste. "You smell like wet dog."

"That only works when I'm actually a wolf," said Paul, rolling his eyes. "You need better comebacks."

"Hey, I'm funny!"

"Hilarious," said Paul dryly. He bumped their noses affectionately and let her go, tugging her off towards the house where the smells wafting from the kitchen even made Serena hungry. They parted in the living room, Serena heading for the kitchen and Paul for one of the bathrooms, grumbling something about rain water. Serena fought hard to keep the smile off her face as she entered the room, giving Emily a quick hug and turning to say hello to Leah and Kim. As soon as she saw who else was sitting at the table, however, she froze.

"Beth?" she chocked out. Her sister gave her a sheepish smile and a wave. "What are you-"

"Beth called while you were in Seattle and wanted to come visit," Emily cut in smoothly, giving her friend a brilliant smile. "She wanted to stay for a few hours, but then the rain started and I didn't want her driving back alone. She'll be spending the night."

"I already told her its not necessary," said Bethany Wilder, standing up and rolling her eyes good-naturedly at her friend. "Tell her, Sissy."

"I – no, no way," Serena shook herself out of her funk and gave her sister a brilliant smile, tackling her in a hug and causing the older woman to shriek out a laugh. "I'm _so _happy to see you, Beth!"

"Me too, Sissy," Beth wrapped her arms around her sister's shoulders and returned her hug. "I'm sorry about the other day," she whispered in her ear. "I promise, I'm clean."

Serena's smile faltered, but she refused to be daunted and merely kissed her sister's cheek. "We'll talk about it later," she whispered back. Beth nodded in relief before sitting down again.

Serena noticed what she was doing and snorted. "Beth, you can't cook."

"Just because I'm not you or Emily in the kitchen doesn't mean I'm horrible," said Beth, sticking out her tongue at her sister. "I can peel potatoes."

Serena rolled her eyes, but give Leah an imperceptible nod once Beth and Emily were engaged in conversation again. Wordlessly, Leah left the kitchen and a few moments later, Serena joined her in a corner of the living room. Her eyes strayed to her sister, who was laughing at something Emily had said. It always surprised her how alike the two were, and yet so different at the same time. They had the same eyes, the same nose, even the same habits. They both laughed more than strictly necessary and had an unquestionable love for Emily. But they couldn't be confused for the same person. Bethany had a wicked temper, a stubborn streak that she got from their father, and a slightly sullen nature that made her prone to sulking when she wasn't laughing and trying to hide it. In addition, her hair was straight while Serena's was wavy, and her eyes were green while Serena's were a deep brown. She had always been the pretty one, after all.

"Sorry, she literally came out of nowhere," murmured Leah, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Emily didn't want to tell you in case you freaked out, she thought she might be using because she was really jittery when she came in."

"She just hates driving in the rain. Why is she here though?" Serena ran a hand through her hair nervously. "Beth isn't spontaneous."

"Maybe she really did miss you?" offered Leah.

Serena shrugged. "She probably did, but this isn't like Beth. If she missed me, she'd throw a fit and make me come back, or she'd start using so I came back. We both know my sister is as toxic as she is amazing."

"Give her a chance," Leah patted her shoulder comfortingly. "She won't do anything here. Plus, maybe you can introduce her to Paul."

Serena froze, her eyes widening in horror when she realized what her sister's arrival meant. "_Shit_."

"What?" Leah blinked in surprise.

"I have to introduce her to Paul."

"So?"

"Leah! Its _Beth_!"

"Your sister isn't a flirt, Serena."

"No, my sister is _crazy_," hissed Serena. "She'll freak him out! He already thinks _I'm _crazy."

"Paul _loves _you," said Leah, purposefully stressing the word and immediately noting Serena's discomfort. "Don't worry, Serena, she'll like him and he'll be on his best behaviour. If you're serious about him, you can't keep him a secret. That'll really hurt him."

"I wasn't planning to," Serena bit her lip. "This is crazy, Lee-lee, I've barely known him for-"

"Don't start," Leah held up her hands in surrender and walked away, muttering something about being dramatic under her breath. Serena frowned at her friend's abrupt departure, but quickly made her way towards the kitchen. However, Paul intercepted her.

"Who is that?" he jerked his head towards the kitchen. He was frowning. "She looks-"

"Like me?" offered Serena, knowing it was something everyone thought at first glance.

"No, you're beautiful," his response was in that automatic tone again, as if what he was saying was the most obvious thing in the world and she was an idiot for not realizing it. "I think I've seen her in the wedding pic- oh, wait," he grinned, a little sheepishly. "Is that your sister?"

"Good guess," Serena smiled at his embarrassed look. "Don't worry, Paul, you're the first one to think _I'm _the pretty one."

Paul's smile faded and he caught her hand, as if he was afraid she'd run away. His other hand caressed her face. "You're more than pretty."

"You're cute," forgetting her sister was there, Serena stood on tip-toe and gave him a quick kiss. She smiled a little at his expression. "Do you want to meet her?" the words were out of her mouth before she could take them back.

Paul looked surprised at her question. "Sure," his eyes flickered to the kitchen. "Now?"

"Its as good a time as any," shrugged Serena. She grabbed his hand and towed him behind her into the other room. Emily stopped speaking as soon as she came in, her eyebrows raised when she saw Paul enter behind Serena. Her lips twitched, however, when she saw their joined hands.

Beth hadn't noticed. She stood up when Paul came in and threw him a friendly smile. "I recognize you from the pictures Sissy sends us sometimes," she greeted. "I'm Beth, Serena's sister. And you are…?"

"This is Paul," interjected Serena before he could respond. Deciding to get the worst over with, she spoke while they shook hands. "My boyfriend."

To do her credit, Beth didn't stop smiling. She shook his hand politely and threw Serena a bemused glance. "I didn't know you-"

"Emily, Quil is asking if- oh, sorry I didn't know anyone was here," Embry's entry stopped the conversation going places Serena didn't want it to go, and she sagged against Paul in relief. He rubbed her arm soothingly, obviously sensing her discomfort.

"Hey, Embry, this is my sister, Beth," introduced Serena. Beth turned her friendly gaze to Embry, who merely stood there and stared. Serena waited for him to speak, but he didn't, and eventually even Beth's smile cracked. She gave him an awkward wave and sat down in her chair again, busily pretending to grate cheese, but Serena knew she was uncomfortable. She gave Embry a look, only to discover that he was staring at her sister with a look that was akin to adoration and fear. Frowning, she looked up at Paul, only to see him looking at Embry with narrowed eyes. She tugged on his arm and his eyes immediately flickered down to hers. Pointedly, Serena looked from Embry, who was still frozen, to her sister, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

Paul shrugged, but his eyes left her face and as soon as he broke eye contact Serena knew he was hiding something. Swiftly, he pressed a kiss to her temple and headed out of the kitchen, grabbing Embry by the shoulder and dragging him behind. Serena glanced out to see Paul take him to Sam, whisper a few words, and then the two older ones grabbed Embry and pulled him out of the house, towards the woods.

The bizarreness of the situation, however, was quickly forgotten with Beth cleared her throat. "So," her sister sounded smug. "Boyfriend?"

Serena frowned. "Should I explain what that term means to you?"

"You haven't had a boyfriend since you were fifteen."

"I'm old enough to date a boy, _mom_."

"_Mom_," Beth snickered. "Does mom know about this ridiculously hot _older man _that you're dating?"

Deciding that it would be impossible to argue with Beth on Paul's age, since he did look much older and werewolves were not something her sister would be okay with, she merely shrugged. "I like him, and it doesn't matter if he's older than me."

"It doesn't matter to me either, Sissy, but it matters to mom."

Serena snorted. "I'm letting her rule one part of my life, I won't let her rule everything else."


	20. Chapter 20

"So, when are we talking about Paul?"

Serena glared at her sister's reflection in the bathroom mirror and finished brushing her teeth without responding. Beth giggled and poked her. Serena groaned and spat out her toothpaste. "What is there to talk about? He's hot, he's sweet, he really cares about me and I really like him."

"That doesn't sound like a summer fling."

"Because its not," admitted Serena. "I don't want it to be, and I don't think that's what Paul wants either."

"Think?" Beth raised her eyebrows. "You mean you don't know?"

Serena faltered under her sister's stern gaze. "Beth, I –"

"You need to talk to him about this, Serena," said Beth, her tone full of disapproval. "I like him, and you know that mom values Emily's opinion over everything else, so its not like she'll hate him if you introduce him. But if I hadn't shown up, you'd have waited until the last possible minute to tell us about him."

"I'd have told you eventually, but I'm still not telling mom."

"You're afraid of her opinion too much, Sissy, even though we both know she always comes around."

"She does with you, Beth, not with me," Serena exited the bathroom and led her sister to the guest room they'd be sharing for the night. Beth had insisted that she could drive back home despite the rain, but of all people Paul had been the one to interject and point out that the storm would be infinitely dangerous to drive in, and it would be much safer for her to stay the night. Embry had been quick to agree, causing Beth to give him a small smile since his expression clearly stated his embarrassment over the way he had greeted her when Serena had first introduced them.

"She'll come around with you too," insisted Beth. She sat down on the bed, cross-legged, and patted the spot next to her. "Trust me, Sissy, my love life may suck but you've always been the good kid. She won't hate you just because you got yourself a boyfriend."

Serena shrugged. "I'm not worried about her hating _me."_

"You're worried she'll scare him off," realized Beth. Serena didn't respond, letting the sentence hang there between them. Finally, Beth broke the silence. "If he runs away because of Mama Wilder, Sissy, he's not worth it."

Serena gave her a sad smile. "But he is."

**!**

_"__Hey, beautiful," _the voice at the other end of the line was soothing as always. _"How was your night?"_

"It was okay," Serena slipped on her shoes and exited the room quietly so as to not disturb her sister, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Beth's asleep, so I'm just heading down to make breakfast. Do you have patrol today?"

_"__Later tonight, and I'm working at the garage with Embry this afternoon."_

Serena frowned. "Since when does Embry help out at the garage?"

_"__Not usually, but its his own truck that got beat up."_

"And how did he manage that?"

Paul snorted. _"You don't want to know. I want to see you today, though, can you come by?"_

"Yeah, but I might bring Beth with me if Emily is going to be busy, is that okay?"

_"__If you bring food."_

"Good one, Lahote."

Paul chuckled. _"Want me to pick you guys up around noon?"_

"We could walk so I can show her around," Serena glanced at the kitchen clock and noted the time, realizing she still had over three hours. "Noon is good, Beth should be up by then. I'll see you soon?"

_"__Yeah. Bye, sweetheart."_

Serena said her goodbyes and hung up, pausing for a few seconds to smile at her cell-phone fondly. A conversation with Paul never failed to brighten her mood. A quiet chuckle from behind, however, quickly ruined her cheery disposition. Beth was standing behind her, grinning widely. "Cute," she commented, walking into the kitchen and grabbing the glass of orange juice Serena had just poured for herself. "So, can I harass your boyfriend today?"

"There will be no harassing of any kind, today or any other day," Serena rolled her eyes and pushed her sister's shoulder good-naturedly as she went to fetch herself another glass, and a bowl of cereal. "Today is Emily's shopping day, Sam is probably out working, so we're stuck with each other until we go meet Paul and Embry. When did you tell mom you'd be back?"

"Tired of me already?" Beth pouted. Serena merely raised an eyebrow. Her sister giggled. "I told mom I wanted to come by and see you and Emily, and maybe bring you home for the weekend. Its only Thursday today."

"Home for the weekend?" asked Serena curiously. She downed her juice quickly and poured herself and Beth some cereal. "I told mom I wouldn't be home until I was done."

"I think she misses you."

Serena snorted. "Okay, sure. We'll go with that. And we'll talk about that weekend visit when the time comes. For now, what do you want to do?"

It turned out that Beth was more familiar with La Push than Serena had realized, since she had spent nearly a week at the reservation during Sam and Emily's wedding. She wanted to take a walk through the woods, but Serena carefully vetoed that idea with the excuse of the rain and the slippery paths that might cause her to fall down. Beth was easily appeased, and instead they took the much more public and vampire-free path through the streets towards First Beach, where they ran into Quil and Claire. Always uncomfortable with children, Beth fell into conversation with Quil as Serena played with Claire. By the time Claire was nodding off for her nap, Serena saw that they could begin walking towards the garage to meet the boys.

"So, remind me," said Beth after they said goodbye to a sleeping Claire and an exhausted Quil. "Embry is how old?"

"He's younger than me, but I know he doesn't look it. There must be something in the water here," joked Serena, effectively avoiding the lie she knew she had to tell her sister to keep the boys' secret safe. "They're all _really _good looking."

"I agree," said Beth, her tone thoughtful. "I don't know why I agree though. You know tall, dark and handsome has _never _been my type."

"You always go for the pale faces," acknowledged Serena. She screwed up her nose in distaste. "I never understood why."

Beth flashed her a wicked smirk. "Variety," she said smugly, cackling at her sister's look of disgust. "Such a prude, Sissy. That boyfriend of yours doesn't seem like one though, but you _have _got him completely wrapped around your finger."

"I haven't," insisted Serena, willing herself not to blush. "He's just really sweet."

"He looks like he wants to sleep with you, but also watch you fall asleep," said Beth, grinning at her sister's embarrassed expression. "You got him to fall in love with you!"

"I don't know why everyone keeps saying that," muttered Serena darkly as she kicked a stray pebble in the road. "Its not true."

"Maybe you think so, but obviously everyone else can see something you can't," ever the indifferent one, Beth merely shrugged her shoulders and changed the topic. They spent the rest of the walk to the garage chattering about mindless things, and Serena finally felt at ease. She wasn't used to this. The constant attention from Beth was unexpected and, frankly, strange. Her sister had always been a little cold. She didn't lack warmth, she simply didn't bestow it upon Serena. Emily had always been the facilitator between the two sisters, giving Beth the support she needed to realize she wasn't completely emotionless, and Serena affection to help her see that she was loved despite how she felt while at home. Beth sudden interest in Serena's love life wasn't something her sister could comprehend, or even trust, since she knew the trouble Beth was capable of causing.

"Is this it?" Beth pointed to a sign off the main road, and Serena recognized it as a pointer towards the garage. They jogged up the path and towards the door, noting the dark clouds in the sky with slight unease. Serena opened the door without knocking, as she usually did, and gestured for Beth to enter first. However, the office wasn't empty.

"Hello," Dave Lahote spoke in confusion as he saw Beth, but he smiled when he saw Serena behind her. "Serena, its nice to see you again."

"Hi, Dave," Serena gave him a bright smile and bounded towards him, her misgivings about her sister forgotten as she gave the older man a quick kiss on his cheek. "I brought you a present," she winked and took out the small plate from where she had stowed it in her bag, dropping it onto his desk and noting the way his eyes twinkled. "This is just to make sure you get some before your son steals all of them."

"You're a godsend," said Dave, patting her arm affectionately.

Serena noticed her sister loitering by the entrance awkwardly and beckoned her forward. "This is my sister, Beth. You might have seen her at Sam and Emily's wedding?"

"I don't recall, but its very nice to meet you, Beth," Dave stood up and shook her hand politely, his smile as kind as always. "The boys are in the back, Embry really did a number on his truck this time and I had to threaten Paul not to punch him."

"What happened?" asked Beth curiously.

"He rammed it into a tree. Several times. Or so he says," Dave's tone said he didn't believe him. "I don't mind, though. He said he'd pay for it to be fixed, and all Paul is doing is supervising. He's on car number five now," he told Serena, the light in his eyes diminishing slightly.

Serena sighed and made her way towards the door that led to the workshop, Beth at her heels. She saw Paul's back as soon as she opened the door, and, almost as if he could sense her presence, he turned around. Serena gave him a quick smile when she saw him, and he returned it, but his eyes flickered to her sister and he stayed where he was, not knowing how she would prefer him to act around her family. Mentally rolling her eyes, Serena quickly crossed the room and launched herself at him, giggling at his look of surprise and giving him a quick kiss.

"Hey," she whispered, kissing him again before he could respond.

"Hi," he murmured back. His arm wrapped around her waist, holding her securely against him while the other hand sneakily pulled her hair tie out of her hair, causing her to give him a playful glare. He kissed the tip of her nose. "I missed you."

"Me too," Serena leaned her forehead against his and closed her eyes, relishing in his warmth and secure embrace. Her misgivings and problems seemed to melt away whenever she was with him, and she was sure she was close to being addicted to the feeling of complete and utter contentment that he inspired within her.

"There's so adorable I don't even feel like telling them to get a room," Serena didn't need Paul's wolf hearing to hear her sister's obnoxious whisper. Rolling her eyes, she broke away from him, only keeping their hands linked, and grinned at Embry, who was leaning against the side of a battered pickup truck and smiling at her sister.

Making a mental note to ask Paul about it later, she gestured to the pile of junk she assumed to be Embry's truck. "Did you try to knock down a tree?"

"He was being an idiot," Paul answered for him and tossed him the tool he was holding in his hand. Embry fumbled, but caught in at the last moment, throwing Paul a dirty look with Beth giggled at his clumsiness. Paul rolled his eyes. "I want to show you something," he said, turning back to Serena. "Do you…?" he trailed off and jerked his head towards her sister and Embry discreetly, who were chatting as Embry began to work on the car again.

"She'll be fine," said Serena, understanding his meaning. She slipped her hand into his and called out a quick, "I'll be right back, Beth!" to which her sister merely waved a hand and returned to her conversation.

Serena allowed Paul to lead her out of the main garage and into one of the smaller rooms, which normally housed recently bought or finished cars. There was a single car parked in the corner, but otherwise the room was mostly empty. Serena raised an eyebrow as Paul closed the door behind them. "What?" she asked. Paul ran a hand through his hair, and Serena could sense the nerves emitting off of him. Frowning, she crossed the distance between them and took his hand again, raising a questioning eyebrow when he merely tugged on a lock of her hair. "Do you have to tell me something?" she prompted.

Paul shook his head. "Not exactly," hesitating, he reached with his free hand into his pocket, then suddenly stopped. "Close your eyes," he instructed. Serena's lips twitched in amusement, but his expression made her take pity on him and she kept quiet, willingly closing her eyes. She heard Paul take something out of his pocket and fumble for a bit, before he grasped her wrist gently. "Open," he murmured, his grip still strong on her hand.

Serena opened her eyes, her gaze flickering down to the hand he held. Her bare wrist was now encircled by a woven leather band, decorated with beads. She held it up, closer to her face, and saw the single charm that hung from it was in the shape of a wolf, made from a deep brown wood and full of tiny details, from the shape of the mouth to the perfectly round eyes. She had seen it before, on Emily's wrist and even Kim's. She let her hand fall back into Paul's and caught his eye, noticing with some surprise his look of nervousness.

"You look way more scared than you should," she blurted out, mentally slapping herself as soon as the words left her mouth. "Sorry, word vomit. Ignore that. This is beautiful," she squeezed his hand and reached up to kiss his cheek. "Did you make it?"

"Yeah," Paul smiled slightly, the stiffness in his shoulders disappearing as soon as she smiled delightedly at his answer.

"Well, when did you make it? It looks like it took ages."

"I started the day I met you."

Serena froze, her eyes darting up to meet his in surprise. His gaze didn't waver. "That's just – wow," she shook her head, both at a loss for words and feeling the inexplicable desire to say something, to make sure that he didn't regret the huge step he had evidently taken. "I really don't know what to say," she tucked her hair behind her ear, nervously, but met his gaze nevertheless. "I really do love it, I hope you know that."

"I can tell," he smiled a little and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering against her skin before he finally pulled back. "I also realized we never really talked, you know, about…" he trailed off suggestively.

"About where this is going?" offered Serena.

"Yeah," he looked relieved. "Yeah, exactly. I don't want you to think you're some kind of summer fling to me, Serena, because you're not. I really, _really _care about you."

"I know," Serena smiled, ignoring the way her heart sank slightly when he didn't say what she had expected him to. Mentally, she shook herself. Of course he wasn't going to say he _loved_ her, and wasn't she happy about that? She didn't want to rush things. She was too smart for that. The bracelet was perfectly timed. They had been together for over a month and it did seem like the right time for a slightly more serious step, but nothing too drastic. So why was she still disappointed? She couldn't think of an answer, so she merely changed the subject. "So, do you look like this?" she held up her arm.

Paul chuckled. "Kind of. Not that small, obviously."

"And I still can't convince you to change your mind and let me see you as a wolf?"

"No," Paul shook his head, but his arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her flush against his chest, his lips turned upwards in a smirk. "You can _try_ to convince me, though."

Serena raised an eyebrow. "Are you underestimating my skills?"

"Not at all," his lips were temptingly close now, and Serena angled her head up in anticipation. "Mine are just better."

"Are you guys done yet?" Beth's voice was loud as she poked her head through the door, ignoring the murderous glare her sister threw her way. "I convinced Embry to take a break, and I'm sure Paul won't have a problem with it either. I'm hungry."

Serena stared at her sister incredulously for a few seconds, but when she saw that Beth's expression didn't waver, she clenched her teeth. "Be right there," she said finally, giving her sister a pointed look that finally made her leave. Paul chuckled and bumped their noses affectionately when she turned to face him again, causing her glare to diminish into a small frown. "She did that on purpose, I hope you know that," pouted Serena.

"Its okay. She'll be gone soon," Paul winked and gave her a quick kiss, ignoring her look that told him to stay still and tugged on her hand, pulling her out of the room and into the main garage.

**!**

"So, I can't convince you to come back home with me for the weekend?" asked Beth casually.

Serena ignored her sister's question and continued to fiddle with Paul's phone. She didn't even know why she had picked it up, but if Beth saw her own phone in her hand she might ask to call their mother, or worse, she might ask _her _to do it, and that was something Serena was not interested in. So, she pretended she hadn't heard Beth speak and inwardly thanked whatever higher power was watching over her that Embry was willing to talk and steer the conversation away from Serena and back to Beth.

In fact, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that Embry had been giving her sister a _lot_ of attention. She narrowed her eyes and glanced up at the rear-view mirror, in time to see her sister giggle at something he said and the adoring look he gave her when she gazed at her lap in shyness. It wasn't an act; she knew Beth was bolder than her but she also knew that her sister tended to get incredibly tongue-tied when boys paid her more attention than she expected. Clearly, she hadn't been expecting Embry to be that interested in her. Neither had Serena, but unlike her mother and sister she tended to keep her nose out of other people's love lives. Pushing the thought from her mind, she put Paul's phone back into the small compartment by the gears. However, it buzzed a soon as it was out of her hand, making her jump slightly.

"Can you check what that is?" asked Paul, his eyes glued to the road as he navigated the car through the pouring rain. They were driving back from Port Angeles, and Serena knew driving in bad weather made him uncomfortable, though he was such a good driver she couldn't imagine why.

She picked up his phone and open the new message, blinking when she saw who it was from. "Its from someone called Rachel."

"Rachel Black?"

"I don't know, it just says Rachel."

"What's she saying?"

"It's a flight number and time," Serena held up the screen for him to see, but he wouldn't look away from the road, so she gave up. "Who is she?"

Paul didn't answer immediately, and his hesitation made Serena frown, until Embry cut in. "Jake's older sister, she must be coming back to visit. Paul picked her up from the airport last time, she probably sent him her flight number in case he was going to do it again."

"Oh," said Serena, surprised. "You never told me you were going to Seattle, Paul."

"I didn't know she was coming," his hands were gripping the wheel tighter than necessary, and the small bubble of discomfort grew in Serena's chest when she saw his annoyed expression. "Jake can pick her up this time, I did it as a favour when she came last because he was busy with the Cullens."

The conversation died after that, but Serena couldn't help but think the name Rachel sounded incredibly familiar, and in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable. She didn't voice it, however, and unconsciously began fiddling with the bracelet around her wrist as they finally entered Forks and began making their way to Sam and Emily's house. In the back, Embry and Beth began discussing the weather, and how if it didn't let up she would probably end up spending the weekend in La Push. Serena's ears perked up when she heard Embry casually mention them hanging out more since Serena would be busy with her project and Beth wanted to see more of Port Angeles. Her sister responded to that eagerly, and even though Serena was surprised with that, since Beth _never _gave in to any guy who obviously liked her so easily, she didn't say anything and the drive passed in silence.

* * *

**I'm a horrible person! I promise to try and be more regular with updates now, its just that uni and assignments aren't giving me a break at all! So sorry guys, but please stick around I haven't abandoned Paul and Serena yet**


	21. Chapter 21

"You okay?" asked Paul concernedly, his warm hand catching her wrist as she passed by him. "You've been quiet."

"I'm fine," Serena tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace. Paul frowned and took the casserole dish from her, putting it onto one of the tables and pulling her in the direction away from the kitchen. She had been on her way to return the food after feeding Claire, who was seated in the living room with her mother and Quil. She _had _been quiet, and she had deliberately stayed away from the crowd to make it less obvious, even though she knew Paul would notice. She couldn't stop herself, though. Not only was Paul's reaction to the Rachel issue bothering her, but for some reason Beth and Embry's budding romance put her on edge as well. She had known both of them for longer than they had known each other, and yet she would have bet that, after seeing them together only one night, they had been together for years.

"What's wrong?" they were standing on the porch, and Paul dropped her wrist only to catch her waist and pull her snugly against his chest. The storm had stopped, but it was still windy and drizzling. Serena shivered as the cold air hit her back and allowed Paul to drag her towards the sofa in the corner. When they were seated, she merely rested her head against his shoulder and didn't speak. He sighed. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," Serena bit her lip, not knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, I don't think I have a very good reason for acting this way."

"You can be moody sometimes, I don't care," he kissed the top of her head. "But if I do something, you have to tell me, okay? I promise I wouldn't do anything to hurt you on purpose."

"I know," Serena nodded, smiling a little when she felt his fingers play with her hair again as he usually did. "Embry seems to really like Beth."

Paul hummed in agreement. Serena snuck a glance at his face and saw him looking absently out into the rain, his hands still rhythmically stroking her hair. He felt her move and glanced down at her, a lazy smile spreading across his face when he saw her looking at him. "What?"

Serena shrugged and resumed her position against his shoulder, following his gaze and staring out at the dark woods behind the house. "What are you thinking about?"

"Seattle."

He spoke so casually that Serena almost didn't realize what he was saying, and then her heart thudded painfully in her chest and she felt her throat close up. Her shoulder stiffened, and as soon as they did she knew Paul could tell something was wrong. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and he nudged the side of her head with his cheek, his forehead creased into a small frown. "What? You okay?"

"Yeah," Serena blinked rapidly, her hands automatically curling into fists as she focused on the rain and the soothing sounds of Paul's breathing as he pulled her into his chest, probably thinking she was cold. "So, uh, Seattle?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah," he sounded a little taken aback by her choice of topic. "Yeah, I didn't want to go at first but I guess I probably should."

"You should?" Serena bit her lip, her thoughts running away from her as she tried to imagine what he meant. "I don't think anyone expects you to go, though."

"Yeah, but it seems like the right thing to do," Paul shrugged. "I won't be gone for long though, a day maybe. I don't mind driving back all night."

Serena's eyes widened. "Will it really take that long?" since when did picking someone up from the airport have to be an all day thing?

"Probably. I need to go see the guy and get the parts from the warehouse, maybe get him to change his mind about the price a little, that sort of thing."

Price? Parts? "Wait, what? Aren't we talking about the airport?" blurted out Serena.

Paul frowned. "Airport?"

"Rachel?" prompted Serena. "She texted you?"

"Oh," he still looked puzzled. "Yeah, I told Jake to pick her up. It was a one-time thing anyway. Dad said I could go to Seattle to buy a part for the car I'm fixing since he can't make the trip himself. Didn't I tell you that?"

"Oh," her posture relaxed at that, and her hands uncurled. "No, you didn't mention it."

"I thought I had," there was a suspicious glint in his eyes now as he looked down at her. "Hey, is Rachel why you're so weird ever since we got back?"

She wanted to lie, she really did, but his eyes were genuinely curious and full of worry, and she couldn't look into them. As soon as her gaze flickered down, she knew she was caught. She bit her lip as she felt Paul sigh, and his hand closed over hers as he laced their fingers together. "Sorry," she mumbled.

"Don't be sorry. _I'm _sorry. Embry told me you might be upset but I ignored him," Paul sighed again. "It wasn't like that, Serena. I did a favour for Jake once. Rachel's sweet and all, but I had a crush on her in kindergarten. I've never had a serious girlfriend before you, I've never felt this way about anyone before, I promise."

"Never?" asked Serena. Her voice was still small, but her eyes were hopeful.

"Never," said Paul. He bent his head and caught her lips in a soft kiss that eventually became more urgent as he tried to express himself since words were obviously not doing his feelings justice. He thought it worked, though, because when he pulled back Serena was smiling a little again, resting her forehead against his. He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm an idiot."

"A little," her eyes opened and she smiled. The knot in her stomach was gone, replaced by butterflies when she realized what he meant. "I'm kind of an idiot too."

"Yeah, you are, for thinking _Rachel _is a threat," Paul snorted.

"I don't even know what she looks like. She could be," pointed out Serena.

"No, she couldn't be. No one could be," said Paul simply. His hands fingered the bracelet around her wrist while the other cupped her face gently. "Just trust me on that, okay?"

Serena didn't need words to show how much she trusted him at that moment.


	22. Chapter 22

"Maybe I should take her to Seattle with me."

"Maybe you should," said Leah dryly as they walked back to Sam and Emily's house after patrol. The sun had risen a few hours ago, and since last night Paul had done nothing but think of Serena constantly, and the look on her face when she had thought he was talking about going to Seattle to see Rachel. Leah had been patient at first, but now she was done listening to him torture himself. "Also, next time get someone else to take shifts with you for patrol. All you do is think about Serena, and I love her to death but I'm going to kill both of you soon if you keep this up."

Paul rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "She doesn't like it when I think about her in front of the other guys. She doesn't care if you know everything, because she tells you everything herself."

"Whipped," teased Leah, but her tone softened. The imprint spell was something none of them could take lightly, because they all knew what it felt like to have your entire world revolve around one person. Leah didn't, but she wasn't as callous as everything assumed her to be. "I'll deal with it, if I have to."

Paul shrugged at her teasing, not bothered by it at all. "You think she'll come with me though? She wants to finish her project and I know her sister wants to take her back with her this weekend."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Trust me, that girl could finish that project in a day if she wanted, but she won't because the minute she does she'll have to leave. Have you even seen her photos? She's practically finished."

"She is?" Paul frowned. "I haven't seen any of it except the ones she took when we were in the woods."

"Her room is full of them, you should see them. She's really good. But yeah, her project isn't a problem. And she'll jump at the chance to get out of going home for the weekend. Just ask her, Paul. You haven't even taken her out on a date yet."

"I tried, she said she didn't want to go!" protested Paul.

Leah groaned. "She's a girl, she didn't mean that!"

Paul ran a hand through his hair and grunted in frustration as they finally reached the house. The door was open, and smells coming from the kitchen had both werewolves running. However, Serena wasn't inside: it was only Sam and Emily, and while Leah merely pulled up a chair and allowed Emily to fuss over her, Paul hesitated by the door. Emily saw him and smiled. "Serena's still in bed, she was up late working. Beth went out a little while ago with Embry, you can go upstairs and get her for breakfast if you want."

"Leave the door open," said Sam shortly, his eyes still busy scanning the newspaper in front of him. Leah snorted at his comment, and Paul merely rolled his eyes, but he threw Emily a grateful look and made his way upstairs to the guest room. He tapped the door gently with his knuckles, but there was no answer so he went inside. As expected, the room was in darkness, but the crack of light that filtered in from between the curtains told him that Beth had obviously gotten ready and tried to let Serena sleep.

She was curled up into a ball on her side, the covers pulled up to her chin. Her bare shoulder was just poking through the sheets, and Paul hesitated before softly running his fingers over her head. Her hair was in a tight braid and there was a slight frown on her face, but her breathing was soft and even, so he tore his gaze away from her and surveyed the room, intent on giving her a few more minutes of rest.

The room was neat, for the most part. The closet doors were slightly open, and there was a pair of jeans slung over the chair lying in front of the desk, but there was no hint of Serena's normally chaotic personality, as Paul had expected, which was no doubt Beth's influence. There was a plastic table in the corner, one of those that Sam often used when they had barbecues on the beach. Instead of food, however, it was loaded with her camera equipment, all neatly laid out with a degree of organization that he knew Serena lacked in all other matters. The writing desk in the corner was overflowing with paper, cardboard and pieces of string, which reminded him more of her. Deciding to ignore it, however, he instead picked up a stack of glossy photos off the table, recognizing them to be the ones she had printed when he had gone with her to Seattle the day her sister got back. They were mostly random shots of nature, a few of the cliffs when the storm had just been about to set in and a few of First Beach. He found one of Quil and Claire in the distance, but the light was reflected in such a way as to show only shadows, and he had to admit it looked beautiful. Setting that aside, he raised his eyebrows when the next few pictures came into his sight.

There were some of him, talking to the guys and one of him and Leah when they had probably been talking about Serena, since he was sure he wasn't smiling like an idiot over some joke Leah had cracked. However, there were a few of both of them as well. They weren't as perfectly captured, so he knew that Emily had probably taken them since she seemed to enjoy pointing the camera at Serena for a change. There was one of them sitting on the sofa, her head resting against his shoulder as he wrapped a strand of her hair around his finger. They hadn't been talking, he remembered, because he had just gotten off patrol and Serena had been tired as well, but she had latched onto him as soon as he had come in and they had spent the next few hours merely curled up together on the sofa, occasionally talking and otherwise watching TV even after the others had left. It was when the threat of vampires had been scarier than usual, and Serena had been extra paranoid. His heart ached at the exhaustion clear on her face.

The next picture, however, made him chuckle. His arms were wrapped around her waist from behind and her left arm was reaching upwards, probably to wrap around his neck, while her right hand was resting on his bicep. She was smiling up at him cheekily, and he was smirking down at her. This hadn't been too long ago, he recalled a day at the beach when the sun had been particularly bright and Serena had teased him mercilessly for not showing up shirtless, which had caused him to playfully splash her with water and offer her his shirt to wear once hers had been soaked. She was wearing it in the picture, her bare legs peaking out from the edge of the photograph just slightly. The bright smile on her face made him grin.

Suddenly remembering where he was, he returned the pictures to their spot on the table and turned back. Serena was still asleep, but he had given her enough time now. He sat down at the edge of her bed and kissed her forehead gently, coaxing her awake as his fingers delved into her hair and massaged her head, undoing the messy braid it was in. She hummed in pleasure at the sensation and cuddled further into her pillows, however it only took her a few seconds to realize there was something rubbing her head and her eyes flew open. They widened when she saw who it was, and then she smiled lazily.

"This is nice," she murmured, angling her face up and accepting the kiss Paul gave her. She giggled when his lips left hers and pressed against her neck instead. "Hi," she giggled again when he nudged her slightly and climbed into bed with her, noting that she had a short tank-top and a pair of sleep shorts on. He wasn't sure if he was pleased or disappointed by her attire. "I didn't know you'd be coming over."

"Just got off patrol," mumbled Paul against her skin. He kissed her bare shoulder, causing her to shiver a little and a small smirk to grow on his face. It was still there when he met her gaze. "Missed you."

"You saw me before I went to sleep," reminded Serena, but she sounded pleased anyway. "Where's Beth?" she asked, attempting to get up but Paul nudged her back.

"Went out with Embry," he shrugged at her raised eyebrows. "I didn't know about it either."

"I don't think –"

"We'll talk about it in ten minutes," said Paul, insistently pushing her back onto the bed once more as she tried to sit up.

Serena looked confused. "What are we doing for ten minutes?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Knitting," he said sarcastically. When Serena still looked confused, he almost groaned, but then she giggled and the familiar twinkle came into her eyes, so he knew he was being teased. "You'll pay for that," he growled, catching her wrist and tugging her out from under the covers. In a trice, she was straddling him and grinning mischievously at his raised eyebrows.

"You started it," she pointed out before catching his lips in a kiss, tangling her bare legs with his jean-clad ones and using her fingers to trace abstract patterns across his torso. She tugged at his shirt eventually, clearly hinting at what she wanted, and Paul chuckled against her mouth before pulling away and complying, tossing it into a corner of the room and flipping them over so he was on top once he was done. He grinned at her slight pout before kissing her again, this time more urgently. Her hair was wild and free, her skin was flushed, and her bare arms and neck felt amazing against him. He knew he shouldn't, and he had told himself that he would wait until he could tell her about the imprint and everything else, but every time he was near her it got harder and harder to resist. Her nails were digging into his shoulders this time, and he ducked his head so he could attack the nape of her neck, remembering the sounds she had made when he had kissed her there the last time. The sounds she was making now, combined with the lack of clothing separating their bodies, was making his self-control deflate fast.

He pulled back, painstakingly at first, but then completely. He didn't move, however, realizing that the view of Serena utterly breathless and wild-eyed beneath him was something he could definitely get used to. She bit her lip when she caught him staring, her eyes flickering away, and Paul was tempted to attack her mouth again, but he resisted, instead nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent greedily.

"You could wake me up like this at the crack of dawn every day and I'd never complain," murmured Serena, her voice teasing as she stroked Paul's short hair, her fingers expertly massaging his head when he hummed in pleasure at the sensation.

"We'd never get to sleep if I could do this every day," pointed out Paul, smiling slightly when she giggled. "Did you sleep late?"

"Yeah, I was working and then I figured I should look up school stuff and see what I need to do about reapplying," Serena sighed. "I just wish I didn't have to think about it yet."

"I might be able to help with that," said Paul. He caressed her neck with his lips, almost absently, but couldn't help the smirk that crept over his face when he heard her very obvious gasp of surprise at the gesture. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Fine," she replied, though through clenched teeth. Her hands tightened their grip in his hair when he continued to kiss her neck lazily. "You were saying?"

"Hmm?"

"You said you might be able to help?" her hands resumed their ministrations, but her voice was still shaky.

"Yeah," Paul pressed one final kiss to her pulse point and angled his head, using her soft hair as a pillow so he could see her better. "Come with me to Seattle? I'll only be working for a few hours, and I know you wanted to go hang out there when it isn't rainy and dark."

Serena's eyes had lit up when he started talking. "I'd love to. When do you want to go?"

"This weekend. I know Beth is here and you want to go home, but –"

"This weekend is perfect," assured Serena. "It doesn't matter if Beth is here, and I don't really want to go home, not yet. A day with you sounds much nicer," she smiled at him sweetly, causing his heart to lurch in a way that wasn't wholly uncomfortable. "Were you thinking tomorrow?"

"Yup," Paul pressed a kiss to her nose and finally, unwillingly, removed himself from on top of her, rolling to the other side so she could finally sit up. Serena stifled a yawn with the back of her hand and sat up, stretching her arms up and and inhaling deeply. Paul's eyes glazed over slightly when he saw the already-short tank top ride up considerably as she raised her arms. However, Serena didn't notice and dropped her arms soon, crawling over him and getting off the bed. She gave him a quick kiss and then ran for her closet, missing the way Paul's face twisted into a grimace as he gazed up at the ceiling unblinkingly.


	23. Chapter 23

"Can't you go next weekend?" asked Beth as she added extra salt to her fried eggs. Serena rolled her eyes and shook her head, ignoring her sister's slight pout at the denial of her request. Beth had spent the previous day with Embry, and when Serena had asked her how it went her sister had uncharacteristically looked down and stammered out an answer, obviously unwilling to share. It didn't bother her, however, and she had shrugged it off, knowing Beth would come around eventually if she liked Embry.

Paul tugged on a lock of Serena's hair, drawing her out of her thoughts and indicating the uneaten cereal in front of her with a pointed look. They were waiting for her to finish eating so they could head to Seattle and reach there before noon. Serena rolled her eyes, but ate willingly enough, resisting the urge to smile when Paul pressed a quick kiss to her temple. Beth was watching them, but she had been doing that often since she came back, and Serena chalked it up to curiosity more than anything else, since Beth hadn't ever seen her in a proper relationship. Though even she had to admit, she realized as Paul absently played with her hair, that the amount of affection Paul bestowed upon her casually was more than she had ever experienced before.

"I don't have patrol tonight," Paul murmur in her ear pulled her out of her thoughts. "You want to hang out with your sister when we get back and I can pick you up tomorrow?"

"My sister will be fine without me," said Serena pointedly.

Paul smirked. "So you could come to my house tonight instead?"

Serena blinked, unused to his directness. However, Paul's expression made her giggle, and she rolled her eyes playfully. "Do I need to start sleeping with more clothes on?" she asked, keeping her voice low. She doubted their conversation was a secret considering the amount of werewolves at the table, but everyone seemed willing to offer them some privacy.

Paul's warm hand caressed her bare thigh under the table, causing Serena to jump slightly. She bit her lip and gave him a look, which only made his grin widen. "Less is more," he said casually, his hand remaining where it was.

"Behave," Serena smacked his hand, and Paul withdrew it, chuckling at her expression. Serena quickly finished her cereal and ran up the stairs to her room to grab her bag, pausing once she was inside. Her mind was working much faster than usual. Did Paul actually want her in _that _way? It was obvious he did, of course, Serena wasn't stupid enough to miss the way he practically drooled when she wore shorts instead of jeans. But when he had the opportunity to make a move, he never did. Serena was sure he hadn't even touched her stomach at this point, anything north or south of that was a long way away. Rolling her eyes, she decided against changing her shorts for jeans and went back downstairs, calling out a quick goodbye to Emily and meeting Paul outside at his truck.

"Ready to go?" asked Serena as she climbed into the front seat.

"Just need to pick some papers up from the garage," said Paul, pulling out of the driveway. Serena nodded and grabbed his phone off the dashboard, unlocking it and flipping through his music idly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Paul's shoulders were completely relaxed. So, when his phone suddenly rang out with a text alert, she was surprised to see him stiffen.

"Whose it from?" he asked. His tone was too edgy to be casual.

Serena opened the text and read it quickly. "Its from Leah. I left my phone at home, she's just reminding me in case I freak out."

"Oh," he sounded relieved "Okay."

"Were you expecting a text?" she asked finally when he didn't seem like he was going to explain his response.

Paul hesitated, but answered her nevertheless. "Rachel texted me last night."

Serena froze. "Oh."

"You can read it if you want," said Paul quickly. "I was going to tell you anyway."

Serena bit her lip and flipped through the texts until she came to one from an unsaved number. She read it and silently handed the phone to him, tucking her hair behind her ear and keeping her eyes fixed on the view outside the window. Paul took the phone from her, but didn't look at her until they came to a red light. When he did, he frowned.

"I didn't text her myself, Serena" he said, but Serena merely nodded and didn't look at him. Paul huffed in annoyance. They pulled up at the garage a few minutes later and Serena was out of the car and waiting by the entrance before Paul could even fully shut off the engine. Resisting the urge to snap his cell-phone into two pieces, he shoved it into his pocket and made his way towards his girlfriend, whose expression had gone from blank to irritated.

"I didn't text her," repeated Paul when he was standing opposite her. Serena's arms were folded across her chest and she was pointedly staring at the floor. Paul sighed and rested his hands on her shoulders. "I promise, I didn't text or call her. I wouldn't have done it without telling you, even if I wanted to."

"You don't have to tell me if you want to talk to her," said Serena, keeping her eyes down. "Why does she talk to you like that though?"

"Like what?"

Serena finally looked up. "Like she expects the answer to be yes?"

Paul's hesitation was enough of an answer for her. Serena sighed and pushed the door to the garage open, ducking out from under Paul's arms and going inside. She sat down on the cushioned armchair in the corner, curling up into a ball and resting her head against the back. Paul looked like he wanted to speak, but he decided against it and gathered the papers he needed from the desk, gesturing to Serena when he was done.

She followed him back into the car silently. She was mentally cursing herself for responding so horrible to something that clearly wasn't Paul's fault, and yet she couldn't help it. Jealousy had always been her weak point, and it was one of the main reasons she had avoided getting too serious with any of her relationships before this. She was possessive and she didn't like to share, and the wonderful thing about Paul was that he made it very clear he was the same way. She hadn't even considered that there would be other girls in the picture.

"Please say something," his quiet voice interrupted her rabid thoughts. Serena's eyes flickered to him. He looked like he was in pain. "You look sad."

"I'm not sad," Serena bit her lip and quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his neck. She sighed in contentment, practically _feeling _the negativity melt away when his strong arms went around her waist. "I'm sorry, that wasn't the reaction I was going for."

"Talk to me," he practically begged, his face buried in her hair. Serena sighed. Paul kissed her temple. "Please?"

"You've always made me feel like I'm the only one that matters," muttered Serena, keeping her face hidden against his chest. She could feel her cheeks heat up in mortification, but forced herself to keep going. "I didn't think about how many other girls you've made feel that way before me."

"You could have just asked me," said Paul quietly.

Serena grimaced. "I didn't want to know."

"There haven't been any, Serena," his fingers tilted her chin up, warm brown eyes gazing at her unwaveringly. "I told you, I haven't felt this way before. I'm happy to keep saying it until you believe me, but _please_ believe me. I've never met a girl I wanted to be with more than once, and I can't get you out of my head every time you're not with me. You can ask Leah, everyone wants to swap patrols with me because all I do is think about you. If I've made you feel like any of that isn't true, then I'm really sorry."

Serena could feel her eyes fill with tears at his admission. "No, _I'm _sorry, I'm just so stupid and jealous sometimes and I didn't want to make it obvious in case you thought I was being crazy so I –"

"I will never think you're crazy," interrupted Paul. His thumbs stroked her cheeks, wiping away a few tears. "You can be as possessive as you want, it won't change the way I feel about you."

Serena shook her head at his words. It was sweet, but unrealistic. "You don't know that, Paul."

"I do know that," Serena resisted the urge to groan at just how _sure _he sounded when he spoke. "I'm not going to stop lo-feeling a certain way about you just because you've got some faults," he smiled a little. "I've got some too, haven't I?"

But Serena didn't answer. He had done it again. He had almost said _love_. She wanted to ignore it, just like he had, and continue with their conversation, but she couldn't ignore it. Her mind was working in overdrive again. Biting her lip, she merely nodded and offered him a wan smile. Seeming appeased, Paul kissed her forehead and let her go, heading back towards the car. Serena took advantage of his turned back and ran a hand through her hair, letting some of the frustration show on her face as she chewed on her lip thoughtfully. However, she collected herself quickly enough and got back into the car just as Paul started the engine.

"I'll admit, this isn't how I planned our day to start," his weak attempt at a joke made Serena feel bad instantly.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have acted like such an idiot."

"Its not your fault," he said quickly. "I didn't mean it like that," he took one hand off the steering wheel and squeezed her knee. Unwilling to surrender his hand, Serena grabbed it, entwining their fingers. She saw his lips twitch at the gesture. "I know you already don't like that Rachel texted me, I just wanted to forget about her today."

"We can still do that," Serena smiled. "Why don't you tell me more about what we're going to buy?"

Paul didn't need any more encouragement. He immediately launched into a detailed description of the car, the work he'd done on it and how much profit the garage was going to make from this sale. Serena listened patiently, smiling a little at his animated expressions. She sometimes forgot that Paul was actually her age, since he looked and even acted a good deal older than her. He should have been worrying about college and grades, but instead he was protecting his tribe and throwing himself into working for his father without a second thought. She didn't feel sorry for him, because she knew he was proud of what he did, but she did wish his future could have been different.

"I'm boring you," said Paul, his sudden comment knocking Serena out of her train of thought. He looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I know you don't really like cars."

"Just because I don't understand something you like doesn't mean you can't talk to me about it," said Serena. She squeezed his hand reassuringly. "You listen to me go on and on about something as stupid as taking pictures all the time."

"Yeah," Paul smiled. "You don't talk as much about being a doctor, though."

Serena shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about. You know I love it."

"You love the idea of saving people," said Paul gently. "I'm not so sure you love the idea of studying medicine."

Serena tilted her head to the side, a smile playing at her lips. "Did you get me into a car all alone so we could discuss everything I never say?"

Paul looked sheepish. "At least you can't run away this time."

"Its not about running away," Serena played with his fingers idly. "I'll start school again in the fall and see where it goes from there, I guess."

His hand tightened around hers. "About that."

"Yeah?" prompted Serena when he didn't speak for a few moments.

Paul looked uncomfortable. "Seattle is… far."

"Oh," Serena blinked, realizing where he was going with the conversation. "Well, yeah, but not that far."

"Not that far," repeated Paul. He sounded hopeful.

Serena bit her lip. "Not far by car, and certainly not far by wolf. Don't you run really fast?"

Her weak attempt at a joke made him smile. "Do you want that?"

She didn't need to ask what he meant. "Of course I do. You can't get rid of me that easily."

His answering smile was brilliant, and Serena couldn't help but ask, "Did you really think I was going to say no?"

"I hoped you wouldn't," Paul shrugged. "Even if you had said no, I wouldn't have left you alone."

"How's that?"

He hesitated. "I would have thought of something," he said finally.

The rest of the car ride was in silence, other than the occasional comment on the scenery. Serena didn't mind. Paul's hand was absently stroking her knee and he drove faster than she was used to, so they arrived in Seattle at a good time. Paul drove them to the garage first, after offering to drop her off somewhere else while he spoke to the owner. Serena waved away his concern and merely settled into the car to wait, flicking through the photos on his phone absently. Barely fifteen minutes later, though, he was tapping on her window with a smug smile on his face. She lowered it immediately.

"What happened?" asked Serena curiously.

Paul smirked. "His other buyer dropped out so he sold it cheap."

Serena blinked. "That's good, right?"

Paul chuckled. "Yeah, it is," he kissed her cheek quickly. "I'm all yours for the rest of the day."

She brightened immediately and threw her arms around his neck. "That's great!"

Paul laughed and kissed her forehead. "I'll just get the stuff and we can go wherever you want, okay?"

Serena nodded happily and settled back into the car to wait. As soon as Paul departed, his phone beeped. Serena glanced at it warily. She trusted Paul completely and she knew he could never cheat on her, the way he looked at her was enough proof of that. Plus, she knew Leah would kill him for even thinking it. Nevertheless, she hesitated. He wouldn't be mad at her if she read his messages, he had shown that, but she somehow didn't _want _to. Being with Paul was the easiest thing she had ever done. Complicating something good was what she was best at.

Paul opened the car door and slid in, still grinning. Serena jumped out of her reverie, and he seemed to sense the dampening of her mood immediately. Frowning, he followed her gaze and his eyes narrowed when he saw his phone's screen lit up with a new message. To Serena's surprise, he merely started the car and began to back out of the garage.

"You should check that," said Serena, glancing up at him in confusion.

Paul shrugged. "If its an emergency, someone will call me."

"Paul –"

"I'm out with my girlfriend," his warm hand came to rest on his knee again. "You're what's important right now, okay? Not some stupid text message."

Serena's lips twitched. "Just right now?"

Paul grinned, relieved at her joking tone. "Well, when its lunch time –"

Serena giggled and smacked his arm. "You're mean."

"A little," he pulled up in front of a diner that Serena had visited quite a few times. She recalled telling Paul it was her favourite and was pleased that he remembered. He gave her a smile when he saw her expression and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Thanks for bringing me," said Serena. She leaned her cheek against his hand and sighed. "I'm sorry for being so insecure, I –"

"Don't apologize," said Paul, firmly but gently. "You don't have to be insecure when it comes to me, okay? I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

_Then tell me you love me_. Serena blinked, wondering where in the world that thought had come from. Hastily fixing a smile onto her face, she accepted the quick kiss Paul gave her and followed him out of the car.

They ate at the diner, and Paul entertained her by glaring daggers at the waiter, who remembered Serena from her frequent visits last year and tried to strike a conversation with her. She attempted to be polite, but it was hard to keep a straight face when she knew the werewolf seated unnecessarily close to her was growling under his breath at the teenager who insisted on asking her how she was and where she had been,

"At least I don't growl," she had joked when the waiter was gone. Paul had merely scowled.

After a drawn out kiss at the table while the waiter awkwardly waited for his tip, Paul parked his car along the pier and allowed Serena to drag him into the large department store close by. Serena had intended to only tease him, but she was impressed when he followed after her obediently as she went from rack to rack, even going so far as to hold the clothes she liked and wait outside the dressing-room while she tried them on.

He kept an adoring smile on his face throughout the hours they spent there, but when Serena came out in a strapless red dress with a plunging back and a hem that barely brushed her knees, she saw his eyes darken. Wordlessly, he pushed off the wall he had been leaning against and towered over her, his expression unreadable.

Serena gulped. "Maybe I should –"

"You should change before I do something you'll hate me for," murmured Paul. His warm hand brushed against her neck as he pushed her hair back. His lips rested against her shoulder briefly, and Serena felt her knees go weak. She took a deep breath and grabbed his hand, tugging him into the small dressing-room behind her.

"I would never hate you," she whispered when he looked surprised. He shook his head, but Serena ignored him and pressed her lips against his hungrily. She could feel his reluctance give away almost immediately. Groaning, he ran his warm hands across her bare back as he returned her kiss eagerly. He quickly got tired of bending down, however, and Serena gasped in surprise as he picked her up by her waist and pressed her against the wall of the cubicle, keeping her elevated as if she weighed nothing. Unwilling to keep his hands restricted, Serena wrapped her legs around his waist and deepened the kiss, resisting the urge to moan as one of his hands caressed the exposed skin of her thigh from where her dress had ridden up, and the other played with her hair.

Paul was the first to break the kiss, his eyes still closed and his breath coming in gasps. Serena wasn't much better, but she rested her forehead against his shoulder for only a moment before kissing his neck, smirking to herself when she felt his chest rumble with a suppressed growl. She found a spot which made him clutch her leg tighter and sucked on it, tugging his shirt out of his jeans and slipping her hand under it to run her fingers across his bare chest slowly.

"Serena," he growled as she lazily ran her tongue over the spot she had been nibbling. "Stop it."

Serena rolled her eyes. "No," she retorted. Her voice was breathless, and she heard Paul groan before he tugged at her hair and crashed his lips onto hers again. He was less careful this time, his fingers digging into her thigh almost painfully. He nipped at her lips, stifling her moans with his mouth and barely giving her time to catch her breath before he pulled back, only to give her neck the same attention she had been giving his. She leaned her head back against the wall, giving him greater access and tried not to mewl with pleasure, but it was hard. Added to that, Paul seemed to enjoy the sounds she was making, if his grip on her leg was anything to go by.

"Paul," his name slipped from her lips automatically as his hands travelled further up. His fingers pushed away the scrap of fabric so he could caress her bare hip, but that wasn't what she focused on. She gasped as his lower half suddenly pressed against hers fully. "_Oh_."

Her reaction seemed to reassure Paul. He ground his hips against her harder, his breath tickling her neck as he gasped, then stopped suddenly. Serena's grip on his shoulder tightened. He let out a shuddering breath. "That felt good."

"_Really_ good," breathed Serena.

"Sweetheart," he groaned. "Don't."

She whimpered at the endearment and he sucked on her neck in response. "Paul, please, I –"

"Serena, we shouldn't –"

"I want to," she tightened her legs around his waist and heard him inhale sharply, her own reaction similar at the sensation that followed.

He held her tightly after that, preventing her from doing what she wanted. They both attempted to catch their breath, but it was useless. Serena's pulse was racing, and she could feel Paul's heart beating as fast as hers against her hand, which was pressed against his chest under his shirt. He shifted minutely, mostly to cushion her back against the wall, but even the slight movement made her gasp. They were still pressed together. Her nails dug into his bare skin, and he hissed. She winced and waited for him to pull away, but he didn't.

"Sweetheart," his sudden, husky whisper in her ear made her skin erupt into goosebumps. "I want you so badly, baby," slowly, almost painstakingly, he rotated his hips and pressed up against her again, as if to prove to her what he meant.

She didn't need any more proof. "I can tell," she breathed. "I want you too."

Paul's free hand inched towards her back. She felt his fingers brush against the zipper of her dress. "I like the dress," she hummed in reply. "I really want to take it off of you," he continued, kissing the hollow of her ear softly.

She wanted to tell him he could, since she doubted she would deny him _anything _at this point, but the sudden chattering of girls entering the dressing-room made her freeze. The store had been practically empty when they came in, but clearly more people had entered by now.

Paul immediately released her leg, his hands coming to hold her waist as he lowered her to the ground gently. Serena leaned against him for a moment, still trying to catch her breath. She felt his chest rumble with laughter as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Well, that killed the mood," she muttered darkly.

Paul snorted. "I wouldn't have done anything," Serena rested her chin against his chest and raised her eyebrows up at him. He kissed her nose. "You deserve better than to be groped in the changing-room of a store, Serena."

She sighed. "And what if that's what I wanted?"

His face hardened. "Doesn't matter. I shouldn't have lost control like that."

"Lost control?"

He noted her offended tone and his expression softened. He rested his forehead against hers. "I don't want to hurt you," he murmured. The genuine fear in his eyes prevented Serena from arguing. Sighing, he gave her another kiss, this one much gentler as he cupped her cheek tenderly. "I'll wait outside," he murmured, kissing her again and pulling back reluctantly.

"Wait," said Serena. Paul looked at her in surprise. She blushed and turned around, indicating the back of the dress. "Unzip me?"

It seemed an age before she finally felt his warm hands on her again. Serena couldn't help but close her eyes, leaning her head against his chest as he pulled the zipper down. His hands lingered unnecessarily long against her skin until he finally pulled back and muttered that he would be outside. Serena sighed, but slipped out of the dress and added it to the pile she was going to buy. She pulled on her own clothes and exited the dressing-room, spotting Paul leaning against the wall again as if nothing had happened.

Well, she amended as they made their way towards the cash register, mostly nothing. He seemed to have forgotten about the mark that was now lightly visible just about the neck of his t-shirt, and Serena couldn't help but smirk when she saw it.

Paul carried her bags to the car and left them there. They had roughly an hour before they had to get back, and Serena managed to coax him into taking a walk with her along the pier. She was pleased to see that, despite his conviction that he wouldn't have done anything at the store, his arm around her waist was tighter than normal. His hand rested against her hip, his thumb hooked inside the waistband of her shorts as he rubbed the skin of her waist almost absently. When she stopped to take out her phone and snap a picture of the setting sun while leaning against the railing, he pressed up against her back and peppered her neck and shoulder with light kisses until she gave up and turned around to kiss him back eagerly.

"We need to get going," Paul whispered between kisses. "Its getting late."

"We can be late," murmured Serena. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "But I can't kiss you in the car."

That made him laugh. His hands slipped under her shirt, caressing her bare stomach fleetingly. Serena gasped, an unfamiliar heat pooling in the pit of her stomach at his gesture. She looked up at him and saw that he looked surprised, as if he hadn't meant to do it himself. She didn't get to dwell on it, however, because he tugged her back towards the car.

She wanted to talk, but as soon as her head rested against the seat she realized how tired she was. Paul noticed. "You should take a nap," he said. His hand held hers tightly as he backed out of the parking spot. "I'll wake you when we get home."

Serena opened her mouth to deny her exhaustion, but a yawn overtook her and she smiled sheepishly as Paul laughed at her. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and pushed the seat back, closing her eyes and falling asleep in minutes.

* * *

**Steamier than I usually write, but it was necessary! I wonder how long Paul can keep the imprint a secret? (hint: NOT LONG!)**


	24. Chapter 24

The incessant beeping of her phone made Serena want to either toss it onto the ground and hope it stopped working or delve further into the soft warmth that encased her on all sides. Opting for the latter, she snuggled deeper under the covers and inhaled the scent that surrounded her, faintly registering in the back of her mind that this was definitely not what Emily used to launder her sheets…

She sat up with a start, her hand reaching wildly for the phone which should have been on her bedside table, but this wasn't her room and her phone was lying on the floor, along with her jacket. Serena grabbed it and shut off her alarm quickly, noting with a small amount of surprise that she was still fully dressed, minus her shoes, socks and jacket. Her hair was a mess, she could tell, but nothing else seemed out of the ordinary. Frowning, she glanced behind her. The bed was huge, and she was sure this was Paul's bedroom, but there was no sign of him.

She hopped out of bed and proceeded to fix the covers, her mind wandering as she worked. Her phone had no calls or messages, so he had obviously told Emily where she was or else her friend would have gone crazy with worry. Then again, she had forgotten her phone at home, so had he gone to get it for her? She vaguely remembered Paul carrying her into his house, saying something about how it was late and she was too tired to go back. She hadn't resisted, of course.

What surprised her was that he hadn't slept next to her. She had barely taken up a quarter of the queen-sized bed, sleeping in her usual pose which was to be curled up into a ball on the very edge of the mattress. The rest of the bed was empty and cold, so either he had woken up before her and left or he hadn't slept at all. Frowning at the thought, she spotted her shoes next to the dresser and slipped on her socks, leaving her jacket and sneakers where they were. The shirt Paul had been wearing the night before, a simple grey t-shirt, was carelessly thrown on the chair next to it. Impulsively, she grabbed the shirt and tugged it on over her tank top. It went up to her knees and hid the fact that she had anything on under it. Blushing furiously, she slipped out of her shorts and avoided the mirror in the corner, making her way downstairs.

The bathroom on the ground floor allowed her to wash her face and glance at herself in the mirror, which was all she needed until she got home. It was still early, barely eight in the morning since she usually set her alarm for seven thirty in an attempt to force herself out of bed. However, her curiosity was piqued and she felt wide-awake.

She glanced in the living room on her way to the kitchen and smiled at the sight. Paul was asleep on the coach, his head awkwardly hanging off one arm rest and his legs dangling off the other. He was laying on his stomach, and Serena felt her mouth go dry when she saw that he was once again shirtless. Forcing herself to focus on the task at hand instead of daydreaming about how his muscles flexed as he continued to breathe in and out slowly, she darted back into the kitchen and began making breakfast.

Serena was halfway through her second mug of coffee when she felt an arm slide around her waist from behind. The sudden warmth stifled any surprise she felt, and she turned around to accept the kiss Paul gave her. "Morning," his voice was deep and deliciously sleepy, as if he had just woken up.

"Hi," she replied. Paul rested his forehead against hers, his warm hands slipping under her shirt. Almost immediately, he froze. Serena smirked. "Something wrong?"

"Uh –" he stammered, and Serena giggled. His hands caressed the tops of her bare thighs, his fingers slipping under the elastic of her underwear. "I'm pretty sure you were wearing more clothes when you slept."

"I was," Serena hummed as he stroked her waist slowly. "You could have stayed with me."

"Last night?" he pushed her back against the counter, stepping in between her legs. It was his turn to smirk when her lips parted slightly, the same dazed look entering her eyes when he hitched her leg over his hip, pressing against her again.

"Yes," she breathed.

"I would have done something stupid," he murmured, his grip on her waist tightening as he lazily pressed his lips against hers.

"I wouldn't mind."

"Hmm," Paul didn't speak, his lips hovering near her temple. "This is something I could get used to."

She blushed at his tone, not missing the suggestiveness of his words. Paul grinned, pressing one last, lingering kiss against her cheek before lowering her leg and pulling back. Serena raised her eyebrows. Paul muttered something about a shower, kissing her again before backing away and heading up the stairs. Serena remained frozen in her spot for a few minutes before finally coming to her senses. She heard the bathroom door slam and picked up her phone off the counter. She sent a text to Leah, knowing there was no one else she could ask and trust to keep her secret.

**!**

"This better be good," said Leah grouchily as she strode into Serena's room. "I missed breakfast for you."

"I made you a bacon sandwich," said Serena, gesturing to the plate lying on her desk which held at least four sandwiches, but she knew Leah's appetite was just as large as the rest of the wolves'. Leah's face brightened considerably at the sight of food, and she grabbed the plate before sitting on Serena's bed opposite her.

"Well?" Leah bit into her sandwich and chewed thoughtfully. "You said to meet you at noon, its noon now and Paul is nowhere in sight. What's up?"

"He's picking me up in an hour, I have no idea what we're doing but he doesn't know when he'll have this much time off so…" Serena trailed off, shrugging. Leah snorted. Serena sighed. "Lee-lee, I'm confused."

"Why?" Leah frowned. "Didn't you spend the night there?"

"Yeah, but nothing happened."

"Okay…" Leah spoke slowly. "And that's… bad?"

"Yes? No? I don't know," Serena groaned. "Its just… we kiss and its great, but he doesn't take it any further, doesn't even _hint _at it even though I'm smart enough to know when that's what's on his mind," she gave Leah a knowing look, and the other girl's grimace told her she had understood her meaning. "And yesterday, he took it _way _further. If someone hadn't walked into the store at the last minute, I don't know what he'd have done," Leah looked confused. Serena bit her lip. "Dressing-room. Anyway, last night, _after _not being able to take his hands off me, I fell asleep in the car. He takes me upstairs to his room, lets me sleep in his bed and takes the couch downstairs. I make him breakfast in the morning and he can't stop touching me but then he goes to take a shower, we hang out a bit more and he drops me back and says he'll see me in an hour when I've changed!" she ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I don't get it."

Leah rolled her eyes. "You need to explain, Serena, because I don't get it either."

"Okay, but please tell me he won't hear you?" pleaded Serena. "_Please_, Leah?"

"He won't, I'll get Jake to take me on his pack's patrols if you want," Leah rolled her eyes. "Spill. What's the problem?"

Serena bit her lip. "He either needs to tell me he's in love with me or he needs to have sex with me, because this middle ground is killing me."

Leah blinked in shock at Serena's outburst. "You want him to want to have sex with you after barely two months of knowing you?"

"I know when a guy wants me, Leah, and _trust me_ Paul wants me. He's just ignoring it!" Serena threw her hands up helplessly. "He only stopped ignoring it for a while yesterday, but he's back at it again! And the bracelet! I know it's the Quilete version of a promise ring. Why did he give me one if he didn't feel a certain way about me?"

Leah raised her eyebrows. "Have you given him any indication that you feel a certain way about him?"

"Of course I have!"

"How? You haven't said it, he hasn't said it. It seems pretty clear to me that that's how it is between you guys."

"He knows I'm in love with him, Leah, even you know that."

"You've never said it to anyone before."

"Because I didn't want him to be," Serena sighed and ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "That doesn't change how I feel, though. I mean, have you _seen _the way he looks at me?"

"Is it bad?"

"Of course not! He looks at me like I'm the only thing that matters. I went crazy jealous over Rachel Black texting him yesterday and he didn't even get mad or say that I didn't trust him, all he did was reassure me that there was nothing going on and then he ignored him phone completely for the rest of the time we were together. He knows exactly what to say and do!"

"Sounds pretty perfect to me," shrugged Leah.

Serena groaned. "If you can see it then why can't he? He's almost said he loves me twice now but he always stops at the last minute. I don't know if he's scared or if he just doesn't want to say it."

"Maybe he's scared you don't feel the same way."

"But –"

Leah interrupted her firmly. "I know how you feel, but that's because you've been ranting to me about him since I got here. You're not like this with him, Serena, you don't let him see your insane side because you're scared he'll run away," Leah's voice became gentle as she scooted closer to her friend and rested a hand on her shoulder. "He won't leave, Serena, he really is crazy about you."

Serena shook her head and clapped a hand over her mouth, willing her sobs to stay inside her chest. She finally took a deep breath and removed her hand. "I say I want him to tell me he loves me but the thought of him actually being in love with me terrifies me."

"He won't leave you."

"He might want to."

"You didn't leave him when you found out he sprouted fur when he got mad, Serena," Leah squeezed her shoulder. "Seriously, do you think anything you say can beat _that_?"

"I won't be here all the time and I didn't realize he had so many options. Maybe he'd –"

"Oh, please," Leah rolled her eyes and got off the bed, heading for the door. "As much as I love girl time with you, when you start talking like an idiot its time for me to bail. Paul would never ditch you for another girl. If you don't believe me, come to the bonfire tonight and see how he acts around Rachel for yourself."

Serena perked up at that. "Rachel's coming?"

"Her dad's chief, sure she is," Leah shrugged. "She's alright. Don't rip her head off, okay?"

Serena grunted. "I'll try."

"I don't think she knows you're his girlfriend, if it helps," offered Leah. "She hasn't seen any of us since she got back, she's been cooking and cleaning for Jake and Billy apparently."

"How nice," grumbled Serena.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Get dressed and look hot. Your boyfriend is here," as if on cue, Serena's ears heard his truck pull up in the driveway. "I'll send him up," Leah winked and darted out the door before Serena could object.

Barely a minute later, she heard a soft knock on the door and Paul poked his head in. He grinned when he saw her. "You look nice."

Serena glanced down at her outfit in surprise. She was wearing the clothes she had slipped on after her shower while she debated on what to wear later, a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of pyjama bottoms. In addition, her hair was in a thick braid down her back. She grimaced as Paul entered the room. "Funny."

"I'm serious," he sank down onto the bed next to her and kissed her temple. "And as much as I love this look for you," his hand darted up her shirt to pinch her waist, and Serena jumped at the sensation. "I thought you were going to change."

"I was," she leaned her head against his shoulder and Paul immediately wrapped his arms around her, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"But?" he prompted.

Serena shrugged. "Leah says Rachel is coming tonight."

"To the bonfire?" she nodded. He sighed. "Serena, I told you –"

"I know," she said hastily. "I wasn't – I didn't mean it that way."

Paul held her elbow and tugged, his strength taking her by surprise. Serena found herself straddling his lap and being forced to catch his gaze. She looked away, but it was too late. "We don't have to go if you don't want to," there was no hesitation in his voice.

Serena looked up at him in surprise. "But you love going."

"I love hanging out with you more," he kissed the tip of her nose quickly. "What do you want to do instead?"

Serena shook her head. "I can't avoid her forever. She hasn't even done anything to me. Leah said she probably doesn't know about us."

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to, I can tell Jake to –"

"No way!" Serena looked horrified. "Its his _sister_, Paul!"

"And you're my girlfriend," his arms tightened around her, and Serena saw his normally light, playful eyes darken. "If you don't want to see someone, they don't get to show up."

"I don't mind seeing her," assured Serena. She bit her lip, and Paul nuzzled her cheek affectionately, waiting for her to continue. "But I won't be leaving your side. At all," she added.

He grinned lazily. "Fine by me. Now," his lips brushed against the corner of her mouth. "Where were we this morning?"

Serena had just enough time to let out a giggle before his lips crashed onto hers.


	25. Chapter 25

"You look nice."

Serena threw Emrby a look. "What do you want?"

The werewolf looked embarrassed and ran a hand through his hair. "I was being nice."

"You're not nice to me, you steal my food and pinch me when I'm not looking," Serena rolled her eyes and finished putting the last of the sandwiches into the basket she would be carrying to the bonfire. "What's up?"

"Do you know when your sister is planning to leave?"

"But I thought you liked hanging out with her," frowned Serena. "Shouldn't you be asking me if I can make her stay?"

"I, uh, well," he stammered. "I just –"

"Hurry up!" came Emily's voice from the doorway. "I don't want the sandwiches to go dry!"

"Coming!" called back Serena. She picked up the basket and threw Embry a quick smile. "She said she'd stay until this weekend, but I'm not sure when she wants to head back. Sorry."

Embry muttered a thank you and trudged after her dejectedly. Serena threw him a concerned look, but she couldn't say anything because Paul chose that moment to appear in front of her and take the basket from her hands. "Need a lift?" he grinned.

"You're half an hour late," said Serena, rolling her eyes. "You said you'd just go home and change."

"I did," he gestured to his clean shirt and jeans. "I was helping my dad load his stuff into the car."

"Is he going somewhere?"

"New customers in Alaska," he shrugged. "He should be back in a couple of days."

Serena nodded and followed him to the car. Her phone rang when she sat down, and she glanced at the caller ID and winced, switching it to silent and stuffing it back into her pocket. Paul noticed. "You okay?"

"Its my mom," Serena bit her lip.

"Don't you want to answer?"

"Nope," she shook her head and threw him a quick smile. "So, do I look okay?"

"You always look better than okay."

Serena huffed. "You didn't even look at me."

Paul rolled his eyes, but glanced at her willingly enough, and felt his lips twitch. She was wearing jeans for a change, but they clung to her like a second skin and he knew he would have to pointedly avoid staring at her for too long for the rest of the night. Her tank top was a deep maroon with black lace on the edges, and her hair was loose around her shoulders in its usual wavy mess. Paul grinned at her and leaned in for a quick kiss, which Serena gave willingly. She smiled shyly when he pulled back. "I'm taking that as a yes?"

"You look beautiful," he kissed her forehead again, then unwillingly started the car and backed out of the driveway. "And if you want to leave, tell me."

"I won't," she said softly. "But thanks," her hand touched his arm, and he let go of the wheel to grasp it firmly, driving with one hand easily.

Paul wasn't one for encouraging clinginess, or jealousy. He hadn't had a serious girlfriend before, and the few girls that had come into his life had gone before he could get too attached. Even though he knew the imprint bond was strong enough for him to ignore any of her faults, he also understood Serena's fears completely. Emily had accidentally told him that she had never had a boyfriend, and he had more than once caught her sister having a hushed conversation about how worried she was that Serena was dating an "older man." He hadn't told her this, of course, but the urge was still strong. He didn't know if he was scared, or if he was just waiting for the perfect moment, but he knew time was running out. Summer was almost over, and though she said she wanted to be with him even after she went back to Seattle, he doubted she meant the kind of commitment he had in mind.

She _was _beautiful, though. A small smile was on her lips as she looked out at the trees that whizzed by, and her thumb was rubbing soothing circles into the back of his hand, almost absently. She looked happy.

Her expression changed as soon as the car stopped and Paul switched off the engine. Even from this distance, it was hard to miss the new person that stood near Billy's wheelchair. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze, choosing not to say anything and allowed her to lead the way towards the group.

"Hey!" Seth was the first to see them, and he gave Serena a hug. Leah appeared next, taking her spot next to her friend, her face in its usual scowl. But her eyes were concerned as they flickered between Serena and the other girl who had just turned around. Paul hung back deliberately.

He was surprised when Rachel crossed the distance between them and smiled at Serena hesitantly. "Hi," she said quietly. Her voice was just like he remembered it. "I'm Rachel Black." And she held out her hand.

Serena hesitated for only a few seconds before grasping her hand and shaking it. He couldn't see her face, but he was both proud and relieved when her voice didn't shake as she replied. "Serena Wilder."

**!**

"Where are you taking me?" despite her curiosity, Serena couldn't help but smile as Paul continued to lead her through the woods behind the beach, weaving through the mass of undergrowth with a grace that almost made her jealous.

"Far away," was all he said. They walked for a few more minutes until they finally reached a thicket that looked exactly like the one before it. Serena leaned back against a tree and raised her eyebrows. It was a clear night, and the moon was the only source of light she had. Nevertheless, she could make out Paul's face quite clearly. He looked smug.

"Well?" she asked.

"We're out of their hearing range," he explained. When Serena still looked confused, he rolled his eyes. "Our hearing is really good, even when we're not in wolf form."

"Oh," Serena frowned. "Do you have to tell me something that you can't say in front of them?"

"Nope," he still sounded smug. "Nothing to say."

"Then what –"

Paul cut her off, attacking her lips with a hunger that made her stomach clench. She sighed into the kiss, allowing him to push her back against the tree and lift her up slightly so she could wrap her legs around his waist. Serena smirked at the same time he did, and Paul winked at her before kissing her again, slower this time. The hand that wasn't holding her up – the other was strategically placed under her thigh – fingered the edge of her tank top and, when Serena didn't push him away, he slipped a hand under it, stroking her bare waist and groaning when she tightened her legs around him.

"You're doing it again," he breathed out, breaking the kiss and resting his forehead against hers.

"You're not exactly keeping things innocent," panted Serena. She ignored the stiffening of his posture and wound her arms around his neck, tugging him down for another, lazy kiss. He didn't resist, and the kiss was deep, slow and made her insides turn to jelly immediately. They pulled back for a moment, and she grinned at his slightly dazed look. "This was a really good idea."

"But not a very careful one." He was stubborn. Serena rolled her eyes, knotting her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes darkened as she tugged, and she bit her lip coyly. His eyes narrowed. "And it's hard to be careful with you looking like that," his voice was a throaty whisper as his lips brushed against hers for merely a second before descending to her neck. His fingers dug into her skin greedily, bunching her shirt up further on her torso. Mentally thanking the higher powers that he never wore a shirt himself, Serena contented herself with caressing his bare shoulders absently, but as she felt his lips against her pulse point she automatically dug her nails into his shoulders as she tried to keep quiet.

Clearly, if she had been hoping he would stop holding back, _that _was the way to do it. His kisses went from soft to hard in a second, and she felt him suck on her neck hungrily, crushing her even closer to his body. Whatever objections he had had to her being pressed up against him, he wasn't complaining now. The feeling that coursed through her as he pointedly ground his hips against hers caused her to let out a sound that was somewhere between a whimper and a moan, resting her head back against the tree trunk as she tried to calm her suddenly erratic breathing. He paused before his lips returned to her mouth, never leaving her skin.

"I should be more in control," even as he spoke, he caught her slightly swollen lower lip between his teeth and nibbled on it. Serena was sure her nails were going to draw blood from his back any second. "But I want you."

"So do I," she breathed. "Paul, I –"

He shushed her, his lips soft as he peppered her face with sweet, slow kisses. When he finally stopped, his forehead against hers, Serena opened her eyes lazily. His were already open. "I told you, you deserve better," he murmured. He gave her one last kiss before lowering her leg back onto the ground, wrapping his arms around her waist and allowing her to lean against him.

His warmth was always so comforting. Serena sighed and kissed his bare chest. His arms tightened around her, but she pretended not to notice. "I'll wear you down eventually," she warned.

Paul chuckled. "I look forward to that."

**!**

"I should probably explain myself," Rachel voice was low as Serena raised a can of Coke to her lips. However, as soon as she spoke she put it down and looked at her, though reluctantly. They were sitting by the fire, and the Elders were about to begin the stories. Paul and the boys were finishing up a game of football.

"You don't have anything to explain," said Serena quickly. Meeting Rachel had been awkward, but she was glad. From the way the other girl had merely waved at her boyfriend, Serena knew there was nothing to be worried about. Also, the smirks Paul kept throwing her every time she caught his eye were enough to make her feel quite secure.

"No, but I really want to," she insisted. "I've never been with Paul that way, we were just friends and I wanted it to be something more, I never dreamed that you were his imprint. If I had known –"

"Imprint?" Serena interrupted. The word sounded familiar, and yet foreign.

Rachel didn't pick up on her confusion. "Yeah, Jake told me today. I'm really sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Serena."

"That's okay, but what –" Serena tried to ask, but Old Quil cleared his throat gently and Rachel shot her a quick smile before getting up and going to sit with her father. Her empty seat was quickly taken by Leah, and she saw Paul throw her a look of exasperation before winking at Serena and sitting down next to Emily. Serena smiled at him, but she still felt confused. Was imprint another word for girlfriend?

"Did Rachel say something bad?" whispered Leah. Serena looked at her in surprise, and Leah rolled her eyes. "You look upset."

"No, not upset, I'm just trying to remember what –" once again, she was cut off as Old Quil began his story.

This time, the stories were the ones they had told the first night she had come. She had spent the entire time on her phone to Paul, of course, so she didn't remember any of them. This time, however, she paid attention. She remembered the stories of the third wife and the tribe's leader, Jacob Black's ancestor, but when it got to a new, unfamiliar story, she paused.

"We thought it was rare, because it had happened to such few wolves before us," said Old Quil, his voice deep and grave. "But now, imprinting has happened to many of us. It is hard to understand why, but we do not question it. You may call it love at first sight, except it is true that you were blind until you phase, and then when you see her, or him –" Leah shifted awkwardly. "- nothing else matters. Your soul is anchored to your mate, and the desire to protect, which is in us genetically, is increased tenfold. The idea of anyone hurting the imprint is physically painful for the pack, because the mind link makes it impossible for one to feel something without affecting the others. Once, I thought it was luck to see a single wolf in the pack imprint. Now, with so many of you, I consider it a blessing." And his eyes zeroed in on Serena with a curious look that made her bite her lip.

So. Imprinting was the supernatural way for wolves to find their soulmate.

And, as she saw Paul gazing determinedly at the ground while everyone around her continued to avoid her eyes awkwardly, she knew what it meant.

She wasn't his imprint.


	26. Chapter 26

**I'VE BEEN GONE FOR SO LONG, I HAVE NO EXCUSE, BUT I'M BACK NOW AND I WILL UPDATE BY THE END OF THIS WEEK! I LOVE YOU ALL, PLEASE REVIEW. DON'T WORRY, ONLY A FEW MORE CHAPTERS TILL POOR SERENA REALIZES WHAT'S GOING ON**

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"Do you want to –"

"No," said Serena quickly. She jumped up, avoiding Leah's worried gaze, and grabbed her bag off the ground. "I'm tired, can you just tell Paul –"

"Serena," for the first time, his deep voice caused her to jump and take a step back instead of forward. She kept her head down, studiously avoiding everyone's eyes. She felt his warm hand touch her shoulder. "We should talk."

"I just want to head back," she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears and glanced up at him. His face was expressionless. What could he say to her now? That he was sorry? That he hadn't meant to lead her on? She couldn't tell. But he nodded anyway and guided her away from the pack towards the car, his hand resting against the small of her back. She wanted to move away, but even though she knew the truth, his touch was oddly comforting.

He didn't say a word until they were sitting in the car. Before turning the ignition on, he gave her a look. "You don't want to talk?"

As soon as he looked at her, Serena moved her eyes away. She shook her head quickly. "Nothing to talk about," her hands played with the edge of her shirt anxiously. "Don't worry about it."

She could hear the frown in his voice when he spoke, even though she still couldn't make herself look at him. "Serena, what do you –"

"Can you please just take me home?" she was tired, so very tired. She just wanted to sleep. She also wanted to cry, scream, maybe throw some things. She was already clenching her fists, lest the desire to throw a well-aimed punch at something, _anything_, take over. How secretive was imprinting anyway? Could she hug it out with Emily? Maybe have a sleepover with Leah and ask her friend to punch Paul for her? She couldn't decide. Maybe Emily would let her bake a cake for Claire's birthday. It was three days away, but she could try a few different recipes, make a mess, clear her head a little. Surely, after Emily realized how Serena was feeling she would –

A horrible thought suddenly struck Serena and she froze. Even Paul could tell something was wrong. His hand left the steering wheel and reached for hers, but he seemed to sense that she would not appreciate his touch at this point and lowered it to rest on the armrest between them. Serena took a deep breath and stared out the window, deciding to voice her thoughts out loud. Paul wouldn't lie to her, not now. What was there left to hide anyway?

"Paul?" she hated how shaky her voice sounded. His head snapped towards her immediately, and she took another deep breath. "D-Did Emily know? A-And L-Leah?"

"About the imprint bond?" he asked. It was half-rhetorical; she knew he knew exactly what she was talking about. From the corner of her eye, she saw him hesitate. "Yeah, but Serena, it wasn't their secret to tell. I would have –"

"Don't worry about it," she cut him off hastily, not interested in hearing excuses. Her brain wasn't even working properly. She was pretty sure she was experiencing heartbreak and shock in one twisted, exclusive package, but she refused to unravel in front of someone she couldn't accept comfort from. Never mind the fact that she'd been throwing herself at him for over a week now. No wonder he hadn't gone all the way with her. Clearly, this secret had been on his mind quite a lot.

Paul stopped the car, and she realized they were at Sam and Emily's house. The lights were on, which meant the couple had beaten them home. Serena climbed out of the truck wordlessly, ignoring Paul as he followed her towards the porch. She turned to face him, hand on the front door, and merely threw him a weak smile. He looked confused, hesitant, but there was also some annoyance beneath the surface. Good. He could be annoyed all he wanted.

"I'll see you," she said quietly. Paul stopped her before she could go inside, his warm hand touching her cheek gently.

"Serena," he sighed. "Why won't you talk to me?"

They did need to talk, but no. She couldn't. Not now. "We'll talk," she assured him, her voice stronger than her resolve. "Just… not tonight, okay? I really need to think."

That seemed to appease him, if only slightly. Reluctantly, he nodded and withdrew his hand. Serena gave him another weak smile and finally entered the house, closing the door carefully behind her and leaning her back against it, closing her eyes and letting out a deep sigh. When she opened them, she realized she could hear voices coming from the kitchen. The living room was still dark, so she padded to the open door quietly and peeked inside, seeing both cousins sitting at the table and watching the window, which fortunately looked out towards the opposite side of the driveway than the one she had entered from.

One look at Emily's guilt-ridden face and Leah's stoic expression told her everything she needed to know. They had known, all along, and they had led her on. Leah had even encouraged her to tell Paul she was in love with him. Emily had pushed her to consider him in the first place. If they hadn't interfered, would she be in this position right now? She doubted it. She knew better than to have a summer fling in an area she was bound to visit from time to time. Paul had drawn her in, made her question every practical decision she had ever made, and instead of it all turning into some sort of supernatural fairy-tale, it had turned into her own personal hell.

She needed to get out. Her sister's car keys were lying on the small table near the door, and Beth was probably out with Embry. She just needed a drive. She'd come back, of course. Where else would she go?

Making up her mind, she swiped the keys from the table and crept out again, thankful that Paul was gone and nobody would be paying attention to her sister's car. She snuck out of the front door easily enough, knowing that they'd notice her absence as soon as she started the car. Sure enough, she could see Emily and Leah standing on the porch in confusion once she was out of the driveway, but she didn't stop. She didn't want to.

How had this happened? She couldn't understand it. The devotion, the affection, the _love _in Paul's eyes had been so misleading. Perhaps he did actually love her, but the fact that there was an imprint out there for him somewhere had meant he couldn't say it to her. Serena still felt no sympathy for him, but she didn't hate him. She couldn't. Angrily, she swiped at the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes and focused on the road. She had left La Push behind now, and maybe even Forks. Home wasn't far, and suddenly Mama Wilder's hugs and home-made ice-cream sounded like the best idea ever.

Serena paused. Did she want to go home? For so long, La Push had become home, because Emily was the mother she had always wanted, Sam was the brother she loved to hate, Leah was the sister she never knew she needed, and Paul, of course Paul had been the love that she didn't even know was missing. She loved him. It was sad and ridiculous and bound to end sooner rather than later, but she did love him, and she didn't want to turn back and have to tell him that she loved him too much to stick with him until his imprint came along and took his breath away.

She felt pathetic. She had thrown herself at him, wanted him, _shown _him how much she wanted him time and time again, and he had shown her too, but now she understood his restraint. He wanted her, but he wouldn't allow himself to hurt her in that way. It was a small comfort, but it was a comfort nevertheless.

But the only comfort she wanted now was of the home she had grown up in, with a sister she didn't get along with and a mother who smiled too much. Her father was gone, and she couldn't help the small, broken laugh that escaped her lips when she thought of his reaction, if he could see what was happening to her now. His eyes would crinkle, he would crack his knuckles and mutter something about punching Paul's face in, but then he would have met Dave and Paul and Sam and realized –

Serena shook her head. She didn't want to think about what could have been. Her father was dead, Sam was Emily's husband and he had obviously known what was going on too, as had Dave, and they had all betrayed her. Paul's secrecy she understood. In some twisted way, it even made sense to her. but the rest of them? Did she really mean that little? And what about Billy, and Jake and Embry? Hadn't she been nice to them, tried to get along with everyone? Was it pack above all else, even common decency? Couldn't everyone _see _how hard she had been falling for Paul? And had they thought that just because she smiled a lot, she wouldn't shatter completely when he left her?

She wasn't going to give him or anyone else the opportunity to see her like that, she decided. Mind made up, she turned onto the highway and increased her speed, ignoring the buzzing of her phone in her back pocket. La Push be damned. She was going home.

* * *

**Soooooo, what would you like to see now? Serena and Mama Wilder, Paul's reaction when he finds out she's gone, or an impartial third party's opinion on everything? I'd love to know what you guys think! Also, thank you for sticking with me through this very trying time in my update schedule, from now on it'll be once a week at the minimum I promise! x**


	27. Chapter 27

**This is a filler chapter, I swear! I am truly overwhelmed by the response this story has gotten, even though I have a terrible schedule and I know I torture you guys all the time with my inability to give Paul and Serena a happy ending. I will start replying to reviews by the next chapter, though, so please tell me if you're still here!**

* * *

"She's _gone_?"

"I saw her car head out on the freeway, she's heading back to her own Rez," Embry shrugged helplessly, and Beth stared at him with a look of shock on her face. He reached out a hand, hesitantly, and touched her face. "Beth, I –"

"You told me he imprinted on her," Beth said weakly. Embry immediately gathered her into his arms, and she rested her forehead against his chest. "I thought he –"

"Paul _has _imprinted on her," assured Embry.

"Then why did she leave?" Beth looked up at him in confusion, her eyes wide. "She loves him, even _I _can see that, and I hardly know my sister at all. If I could get over the werewolves and supernatural soulmate thing in less than a week, what's her problem?"

"She knew about the wolves, but Paul never told her about the imprint."

Beth froze. "_What_?"

Embry cringed. "I told him that would be a bad idea."

"Em," Beth bit her lip. "At the bonfire, you said Old Quil told the imprint story, right? About soul-mates and stuff?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, Serena heard it?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did."

"And Paul hadn't mentioned the word _imprint _to her at all?"

"Yeah, but what – _oh_!" Embry's face went from confused to horrified in a second. "_Shit_."

"Yeah," Beth sat down on the vacant couch heavily. "She thinks she's not his imprint."

"Why would she –"

"Just because she's smiling and happy all the time doesn't mean she's not crazy," Beth ran a hand through her hair. "I won't pretend to know what's going through her head, but I need to get back home. She needs to know the truth."

"Shouldn't Paul do that?" asked Embry. A car pulled up outside the house at that moment and they both ran to the door, tossing it open only to find Billy Black, Rachel and Jacob getting out of the car. Rachel looked like she'd been crying, and both men with her had scowls on their faces.

"We know what the problem is," said Jacob stiffly, wheeling his father into the house and towards the kitchen. Rachel followed, her eyes downcast.

"What happened?" demanded Beth.

Jacob jerked his head towards his sister. "She did."

Beth's gaze flew to the other girl, who shrunk under her glare. Billy shook his head, and Embry was frowning. "What did you do to my sister?" hissed Beth. There were sparks flying from her eyes.

Rachel gulped. "I may have said I'm sorry if she thought I was making a move on Paul because I had no idea she was his imprint."

"You did _what_?" screeched Beth. Embry grabbed her around the waist, his large hands closing around her smaller ones as she made to claw at the other girl. Her voice was ear-splitting. "So you basically told my _jealous _and _insecure _baby _sister _that you wouldn't make a move on her _boyfriend _because he was your _imprint, _but otherwise he was _fair game_?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" insisted Rachel. "Look, Paul and I really _are _just friends!"

"Oh, I don't doubt that for a _second_," spat out Beth. She shrugged off Embry's arms and stomped off towards the door. "I'm going after her, I don't know what the hell is wrong with –"

"Beth?" Emily's voice rang out from the door. They heard keys fall to the ground and Emily rushed in, closely followed by Kim, Jared and Leah. Her eyes were red, and Leah looked like she wanted to hit something. Jared was rubbing the back of his head wearily, and Kim was biting her lip. "Your mom called," said Emily quietly, slipping into a chair at the table next to Billy Black, who had so far kept his mouth shut. He spoke now.

"Is Serena home safe?" he asked. He patted Emily's arm soothingly.

Emily nodded miserably. "She said she drove up in Beth's car and she's been locked up in her room for over two hours now. I asked her to let me talk to her, but she was really, really angry. Serena's never the type to lock herself away and sulk, and her mom is freaking out. I couldn't even tell her anything."

"I should go," said Beth firmly.

"No, you need to stay here," interjected Emily. "There's still a vampire threat."

"What if he goes after Serena? He's talked to her!"

"She's far away from the wolves' scent, but Sam is going to run extra patrols up to her Rez to make sure no leech goes near that place," said Jared. He looked exhausted. "Em, Jake, we need to find Paul."

"Find Paul?" asked Jacob. "What do you mean, find him? Where the hell is he?"

"Too far away for me to hear him, that's all I know," Jared rubbed the back of his head again. "He rammed me into a tree when he heard what had happened after I tried to chase him and took off. Sam's looking for him now, but he needs backup. Seth, Colin and Brady are running patrols for now."

"We need someone to stay with –"

"I'll stay at the house," said Leah quietly. "You guys should go."

"Leah, what –"

"Drop it, Jake."

"Leah, honey, do you want to –"

"I'm fine," Leah pushed away Emily's hand and made her way out of the kitchen. "I'll be in the den."

Beth bit her lip once Leah left the room. "She's pissed."

Emily shook her head. "She's sad. From what Sam got out of Paul's head, Serena looked very hurt when she found out Leah and I hadn't told her about the imprint. She feels betrayed, and Leah feels responsible for her running off."

Beth paled. "What will she do when she finds out I knew?" she asked in a half-whisper. Embry wrapped an arm around her waist soothingly, but Beth remained stiff. Her eyes were wide. "She already hates me, I can't –"

"Honey, she doesn't hate you," soothed Emily. "She'll come around. She has to. I bet Paul is on his way there right now to talk to her."

Jared's phone rang and cut off Beth before she could reply. He squeezed Kim's hand and walked out of the room to answer it. Rachel muttered something about getting food from the car and left. Jacob sighed and followed his sister after giving Beth a meaningful glance, to which she merely scowled. Billy wheeled himself out of the kitchen and into the living-room, and the Emily, Beth, Embry and Kim heard the TV turn on a few seconds later. Soon after, Jared came in.

"Paul's in Canada," he said shortly, his voice grim. "Sam just called from a payphone and said he's still following him, but if he keeps this up he's not sure how long he can be away for. We'll take over and send Sam back," he added to Emily, already making his way towards the door. "You guys should stay here with Leah. Seth, Colin and Brady will check in when they're free, and I've called Quil too. Stay by the phone in case Serena calls."

"Shouldn't someone go after her?" asked Kim finally. It was the first time she'd spoken since she'd followed her boyfriend into the house.

Jared shrugged helplessly, then gave Kim a quick kiss before jogging out of the room. Embry did the same to Beth, gave Emily a quick hug and followed. From the window, the three remaining girls saw them talk to Jacob, who nodded and tugged his sister into the car they had been standing next to, no food in sight.

Emily sighed. "I should make something to eat for the boys," she murmured. "You want to help, Kim?"

"Sure," Kim picked up her bag from where she had left it on the chair when she entered. "Could I just use the bathroom real quick?"

"Of course," Emily smiled and turned to the stove. Beth sighed and went towards the fridge, beginning to take out items.

Three hours later once food was on the table and Seth was eating with them, Emily looked up in confusion. "Where did Kim go?"


	28. Chapter 28

Paul hadn't felt this much anger since his mom had died.

The last time he had lost control, he had made it halfway to Canada before Jacob and Seth had forcibly brought him back, and it took an Alpha-order from Sam to ensure he wouldn't rip their heads off. Leah had finally been the one to calm him down, memories from the loss of her father forcing him to realize that losing his mother wasn't something he would never get over. It was typical of him to lose his temper when something bad happened and lash out, and that was the first and probably the last time he had phased back into his own body and allowed his friends to gather around him in a show of support and help him trudge back home.

It didn't work out so well this time.

Added to the anger and frustration he felt as soon as he had caught wind of the fact that Serena was gone, there was the _pain_. He knew it was his own fault. Some twisted, insecure part of her had automatically assumed that, because he hadn't _told_ her she was his imprint, she clearly was not. Every mile he ran away from her made him feel like he had physically left a part of himself back with her, and the desire to turn around to retrieve it was almost overwhelming. But he couldn't, because in addition to the pain that stemmed from a struggling imprint bond, there was the anger at her complete and utter stupidity, alongside a large amount of guilt since, no matter how angry he was at her, he would always blame himself for hurting her. He had been in Sam's head long enough to know that the bond never worked on just one of the two people involved. If he was feeling like his head was about to explode and he had left a limb with her, he knew Serena was feeling the separation just as acutely, though instead of guilt she was probably filled with confusion.

Jared, Sam and Seth were in his head at different points during the day. Or was it days? He didn't listen to any of them, regardless. He let the wolf take over, because the animal instincts numbed some of the pain, though it did nothing to ease his anger, and it also made him forget what exactly he had to feel guilty about. He had just reached the Canadian border when he realized that, for the first time since he had phased, he was alone with his thoughts.

He slowed down now. Was he far enough from the pack that he could no longer hear their thoughts, or had they all phased out and decided to leave him alone? Unlikely, since there was still a vampire on the loose. The thought alone made his stomach clench. Serena was off the Rez, but Sam would still protect her, wouldn't he? An imprint was bound to the pack by law, even if he or she ended up rejecting the wolf. Paul himself had shared shifts at the Young residence with Jared often enough when Sam had initially imprinted on Emily and she had moved back in with her parents and refused to see him. Would Sam make sure someone was watching over Serena too, if he couldn't? It would be one of the younger wolves, he was sure, because patrols would have to be given a wider perimeter to make up for the fact that a leech even within a few miles would be a danger. For a second, the guilt of leaving his brothers to defend the woman he was in love with while he sulked in a distant forest hit him hard, but then it was gone. How badly had he screwed up with time anyway? He should be smart enough to get over it, go to her house and beg for her forgiveness, but would she forgive him? What if she rejected him? Would that hurt less, or more? He wasn't sure.

But he was too temperamental right now. A stab of pain hit him at that moment, and he almost howled in agony as he limped towards a tree and slumped down against the base. The emotions seemed to hit him on and off; either he was thinking about her too much, or Serena was doing or feeling something strong enough to hit him no matter how far away he was. Every time he felt it, the urge to phase back into his human form and rush to her side was overwhelming, but he resisted. Paul knew that approaching Serena while in his wolf form and while he was in such a bad temper could end in disaster, but once the thought had entered his head how could he stop it? He could hide in the forest behind her house – she had described it so accurately that he was sure he could find his way around with his eyes closed if he wanted to – and catch a glimpse of her, just to make sure she was okay. He could even spend a few nights there, cool off and then go see her. Once he explained, she'd understand why he had hidden it from her, though the chances of them going back to what they had before the imprint debate had begun were slim to none. But that was okay, he told himself firmly. If she didn't want him in that way, he'd deal with it. He'd find another way, become her friend and earn back her trust so that one day she'd be willing to give him another chance.

And if something happened to her? The very thought made him growl. There was still a leech on the loose, one that had actually _talked _to her, been within a hundred feet of her, and it still made his skin crawl. Did she know he had spent every night for weeks after that day under her window, wide awake and watchful to ensure nothing could touch her? He doubted it. He had hidden the lengths he had gone through to protect her, because he knew she wouldn't have understood it. But now, as he got back onto all fours and made his way slowly back towards the thicket of trees that would provide him with enough cover while he ran back, he began to reconsider his policy. He remembered the way Emily had reacted to Sam, hell, even the way the mild Kim had reacted to Jared, and he had been terrified that Serena would treat him the same way, so he had thought easing her into something that would work better for him, in the long run, completely disregarding her feelings.

Did he not know her at all?


	29. Chapter 29

"Do you ever plan to tell me what's wrong?" asked Vanessa Wilder, her eyebrows lost in her hair as she watched her youngest daughter dart around the kitchen aimlessly, her eyes glued to an old recipe book and her hair up in a messy bun.

"When I'm finished," was all Serena said. Vanessa hesitated, but nodded and walked out of the kitchen to the living-room. It had been like this for the past day, ever since Serena had shown up at the door at midnight in Beth's car, her eyes swollen, but dry, and a curt statement that she didn't want to talk. She'd woken up before her mother, proceeded to cook enough for the entire street, and then retired to her room to either sleep or watch bad TV on her laptop. Vanessa had tried to talk to her, but she had given up after the first few snappy retorts. Beth's tantrums were easy to deal with, but Serena was so infrequently in a bad mood that her mother was genuinely at a loss as to how to deal with her.

The doorbell interrupted her musings, and she drifted over to the door, pulling it open and blinking in surprise at who was there. "Hello?"

"Mrs. Wilder?" the girl opposite her was shorter than her, with jet black hair cut to just above her shoulders. She had pretty brown eyes and her dark blue coat and casual jeans accentuated her tan complexion. She smiled. "My name's Kim, I'm a friend of Serena's from La Push."

"Oh!" Vanessa smiled and ushered the younger girl in, taking her coat and giving her a hug automatically. She missed the way Kim's eyes widened at the gesture. "I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you, dear, of course I know who you are. Emily sends me pictures all the time, and so does Serena. She's in the kitchen, baking. Or cooking," Vanessa shrugged. "I've lost track now. Did you drive here?"

"I did," nodded Kim.

"Then you'll stay for dinner," Vanessa beamed and offered Kim a seat in the living-room. She slipped into the kitchen and saw that her daughter was still reading, stirring something in a pot on the stove with her free hand. She didn't look up. "Serena, honey?"

"Yeah?" she still didn't look up.

"There's someone here to see you. Someone called Kim?"

Serena froze. It was the first real reaction Vanessa had gotten out of her since she had come home, and she didn't know whether she should be happy about it or not. So she settled for smiling. Smiling always seemed to work in her house. Serena didn't smile back though. Her eyes merely narrowed. "Where is she?"

"In the living-room. And I have a shift until tomorrow morning," threw in Vanessa, grabbing her coat and a plastic container of food off the table. "I won't be back until about ten, and then we have grocery shopping to do at eleven. You're welcome to get Kim to spend the night if you want. Lord knows we have enough food."

Serena didn't answer. Vanessa blew her a kiss, darted out to the living-room to say a hurried goodbye to Kim and assure her that Serena would be out in a moment, and then ran for the door. She loved her daughters, she really did, but her instincts were screaming at her to leave the house _now_, because Serena was far from pleasant when she was in a bad mood.

**!**

"Can I help you?" Serena kept her voice deliberately cold as she entered the living-room. Kim didn't offer her a smile, but she didn't look apologetic either, so Serena sank into a chair opposite her and merely sighed. "Why are you here, Kim?"

"I'm sorry you found out about the imprint that way," said Kim quietly. "But I think you're making a huge mistake by staying cooped up at home."

"I've only been here a day," said Serena dully. "Sorry if I'm not keen on going back and getting my heart broken."

"You think your heart's going to be broken because you're convinced you're not Paul's imprint."

"I'm not."

"Why do you think you're not?" Kim sounded genuinely curious.

Serena sighed. "Come to the kitchen," she said finally. "I'm cooking, and I don't want it to burn. We can talk there."

Kim shrugged and got up, following her into the other room willingly. Serena pointed vaguely towards the island, where there were stools, and took her place by the stove. She made it a point to avoid Kim's eye. "I know I'm not his imprint because if I was, he'd have told me."

"Not necessarily."

Serena snorted. "Yeah, well, there's no point talking in hypotheticals when I know nothing's going to come of it."

Kim sighed. "You ran away before he could explain anything to you, Serena. You _are _his imprint."

"I don't believe you."

"If you just –"

"No," interrupted Serena coldly. "I don't believe you because I don't _want _to believe you. Because if I believe you, then that means the guy I was dating and falling in love with was _lying _to me for months, and so were all of you."

"It doesn't count as a lie, Serena, not like this," said Kim earnestly. Serena didn't answer, so she continued carefully. "I found out about the imprint the same way you did, you know. Jared and I dated, and he never said a word, but it was weirder for me, because I can't remember a time when I _wasn't _in love with him. I found out the same day I found out he was a werewolf. I thought it was some freaky, voodoo magic that was making him like me. I didn't talk to him for a month."

Serena snorted. "Is that supposed to reassure me?"

"I forgave him. I _had _to, for myself and for him," said Kim. Her eyes were glazed, as if she was thinking back to those painful weeks away from Jared. "It hurt when he wasn't with me, and I knew it was killing him too. I was him imprint, his _soulmate_. I told him to leave and that I never wanted to see his face again, and even though it killed him to stay away from me, he did it. Paul's hurting right now because he thinks you ran away from him."

"I did run away from him."

"Because you thought you _weren't _his imprint. You _are."_

Serena turned the stove off wordlessly. Kim sighed, expecting her to argue, but when she turned to face her, there were tear sin her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she said weakly.

Kim left her perch on the stool and wrapped her arms around the crying girl, leading her back to the living-room and settling her down on the sofa. She was sobbing now, gut-wrenching sounds that made Kim's heart hurt for her, and no doubt for what Paul was going through despite the fact that it was his fault this was happening in the first place. But that didn't matter, not now. She could sense a chage in Serena. Maybe she had needed to be told that she was his imprint, or maybe she realized that Kim, someone she had never really bonded with, wouldn't have driven all the way out of La Push during a vampire threat unless it was very important.

"I'll call Jared," said Kim soothingly, patting Serena's back and allowing her to cry hysterically onto her shoulder. "He'll find Paul and bring him here, okay? Is that good?" Serena didn't answer. Kim hesitated. "You want to see Paul, right, Serena?" the tiniest nod was all she needed to hit the button on her phone.

Jared picked up on the second ring. _"What the hell is going on?" _he sounded panicked and furious. _"Where are you?"_

"I'm at Serena's house," said Kim calmly. She knew her voice would soothe him immediately, but she added a "Relax, I'm okay," anyway.

Jared let out a strangled sigh of relief. _"You need to tell me these things, babe, you know I worry."_

"I know," said Kim quietly. "You wouldn't have let me come."

_"__Its too dangerous."_

"She wants to see Paul, Jar."

"_WHAT?"_

"Serena wants to see Paul. She thought she wasn't his imprint. Someone just needed to talk to her," said Kim patiently. "I'm going to stay with her until you and Paul get here, and then I'll go home with you. Okay?"

Jared agreed and hung up, probably intent on tracking down Paul and ensuring both the imprints were safe. Kim turned her attention back to Serena, who had calmed down significantly by now but the tears were still falling fast from her eyes. She wiped them away hastily when Kim put down her phone. "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," said Kim immediately. "We should all be sorry. We all lied to you."

Serena shrugged, sniffling slightly as she straightened up and rested her forehead against her palm tiredly. "It was Emily and Leah more than anyone else," she admitted quietly. "And Sam too, I guess. Since Beth isn't here, I'm guessing she knew about it before I did?" Kim hesitated, but Serena didn't seem to be looking for confirmation. She gave a watery smile. "I'm not mad at you, though, Kim. I don't want to sound mean, but you didn't owe me anything. We were never close. But you came," she shook her head, a slightly bitter smile on her face. "No one else thought to come and apologize but you came and told me the truth. I didn't expect that."

"Nobody else knew what you were going through," said Kim, unwilling to dump the blame on the rest of the pack even though she knew it was their fault more than anyone else's, except Paul's, of course. "Emily reacted horribly to the news that Sam imprinted on her, and Leah's whole experience with imprinting has been bad. Your sister is the only one I've seen who took it in stride."

"Beth's always been strange that way. Weird things don't faze her, but being normal is a challenge."

Kim smiled at the apt description. "You don't give yourself enough credit. I just told you who your soulmate is."

Serena shrugged. "I had a feeling. I wanted to be his imprint so badly, and I wanted everything to just be this one big misunderstanding, but no one called or came so I was just convinced that the next time I would see anyone from the pack would be when someone died. At least, that's what I thought when I saw you," she snorted. "Before that, I was only thinking about how I was going to die alone."

"I don't think Paul is going to let that happen," said Kim, smiling slightly. Why hadn't she been friends with Serena before? The girl was slightly weird, to be sure, but she was funny, and fiery, and obviously a great cook.

She knew why, though. She had disagreed from the beginning of Paul's decision to keep the imprint a secret from her until the last possible minute, and Sam's willingness to go along with it. She had told Jared that so often that eventually Sam had been forced to Alpha-order him to make sure she didn't tell Serena the truth herself. It had frustrated Jared to no end, since the desire to do what _she _wanted was just as strong as the need to obey his Alpha. Kim had been horrified at the stupidity of everyone involved, so she had resolved to simply stay away from Serena. It had worked, but the guilt had hit her full-force when she had learned that she had run away. Thankfully, her plan to make amends had worked perfectly without harming anyone.

"Are you hungry?" Serena's voice was less shaky now as it drew her out of her thinking. She offered her a small smile. "I was making fillings for tacos. We might as well eat. I've been cooking since yesterday, so there's other stuff if you want it."

Kim was about to object, but she changed her mind at the last minute. Why say no? Serena effectively had no friends at the moment, since she was sure she would be cutting off from the La Push clan until her resentments were gone, and they were waiting for the boys to arrive anyway. The hopeful gleam in her eye told Kim she was hoping for a distraction from thinking about the difficult conversation she would no doubt have to endure with Paul. "Sure," agreed Kim. She got up and followed Serena into the kitchen, both girls smiling hesitantly.


	30. Chapter 30

**Drum roll, please!**

* * *

"That's them," the doorbell rang and Kim offered Serena a small smile, which she didn't return, and pushed her plate away. "I'll see myself out and let him in, okay?"

"Kim?" she was halfway towards the door when Serena finally spoke. She turned back to look at her questioningly. Serena was pale, but she was smiling. "Thank you."

Kim merely winked and made her way out.

Serena sat painfully still, counting the seconds. She heard the door open, Kim's giggle as she obviously saw Jared, a few words spoken in low voices, and then a voice she had thought she would never hear again, Paul's rumbly growl as he asked, "Where?" before the door was snapped closed and heavy footsteps made their way towards her.

She hadn't moved an inch when he finally came into sight, but she winced when she saw him. He looked a mess. His hair was sticking up everywhere, his t-shirt was slightly ripped at the shoulders, his jeans were scuffed, and his hands, which were clenched into fists, were bruised and cut up. His eyes were hooded and darker than she was used to. They were watching her, and the mix of emotions swirling through them made her want to hit her head against the wall: hope, sadness, wariness, pain, _love_. How could she have been so stupid? Every second that passed by told her how wrong she had been to react that way, but she couldn't speak. She couldn't even move.

"I'm sorry," his voice was different. The undertone of affection, the slight playfulness she was used to was gone. He sounded like he had been shouting. Or crying. "I should have told you sooner."

"Yeah," she whispered. It was all she could think to say. Serena bit her lip, blinking back the tears that suddenly threatened to seep out of her eyes. She couldn't cry. She knew it would hurt him, and he didn't deserve that, not now. Yes, it had been his fault for keeping such a secret from her, but she hadn't trusted him, and he had trusted her.

Paul's shoulders slumped when she didn't speak. "I'll go if you want," his eyes were fixed on the floor. Had he even looked at her since he had come in? "I don't want –"

"Stay," she said immediately. He didn't look up, but his clenched fists seemed to ease up, if only a little. Serena's frozen muscles finally thawed, and she pushed herself out of her chair, coming to stand in front of him awkwardly. She wanted to throw herself at him and cry, but she hesitated. His body language was closed off, and he wasn't looking at her. She took a deep, shaky breath. "I'm sorry," she choked out. The tears were coming now. "It was stupid of me to run away without hearing what you had to say."

"Yeah," was all he said in response.

Serena wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. She saw him flinch at her action, but he still wouldn't look up. She sniffed. "I get why you didn't tell me."

"Good."

"You still should have."

"I know."

"Look at me!" she blurted out finally. Her voice cracked at the end, and his shoulders tensed. "Paul, I'm _sorry_."

"You think that's enough?" his voice was dangerously low. She had never heard him quiet when he was angry – by now, he would have broken something. _That _kind of anger she knew how to handle. This seemed to be a different kind. Finally, he looked up at her, eyes blazing with fury and pain and _fear. _"What if a leech had gotten you? What if one of us hadn't tracked your scent and followed you here? Did you think of what would have happened to me if a vampire had killed you? If a vampire had even _touched _you?" he was getting louder now, and Serena was crying harder. Crying because no, she _hadn't _thought of that, and because she had scared him and hurt him and every second his eyes flashed with pain something inside of her broke and made her heart hurt. "You didn't think about me at _all, _Serena, and yeah, I was a jerk for not telling you about the imprint, but I did that _for you. Everything _I have done since I met you has been about you. And I needed you to do one thing for me," his warm hands grabbed her arm suddenly, tugging her close and cupping her face. The anger was almost tangible; he was trembling and it should scare her, but she couldn't look away from his face. "All I needed you to do was trust me. And you ran away."

"And I want to hate you for it," he continued, his tone going quieter, softer. One hand was tangled in her loose hair, and the other was stroking her face reverently. An expression of adoration came over his face, one she had seen rarely, mostly when he thought she wasn't paying attention. "I want to hate you for the hell you put me through these past few days, but I can't, because you're my imprint and I love every stupid, impulsive, amazing thing about you."

"I don't want you to hate me," choked out Serena, her eyes filling with tears as the very thought of him feeling _anything _but love for her made her heart thud uncomfortably in her chest. "I never want you to hate me."

"I've been miserable for two days, Serena, and now that I'm even in the same room as you that doesn't matter," his eyes were closed, his nose brushing hers gently. "God, I missed you."

"I missed you too," Serena sighed, melting into his touch as she always did.

"You can't do that again," Paul locked eyes with her, his tone hardening instantly. His arms tensed around her. "I swear, Serena, if you –"

"It's not happening again," she shook her head vehemently, her hair brushing against his cheeks. "I promise."

"I'm serious, because I-"

"I promised!"

"I don't –"

"Don't say it."

Paul frowned. "What?"

Serena bit her lip and closed her eyes, resisting the urge to cry. "You don't trust me," she whispered. "You didn't tell me about the wolf thing or the imprint and now because I ran away you don't trust me, and I understand why," she sniffled, wanting desperately to bury her face into his chest but knowing it wouldn't help her case. "I understand why, believe me, but just don't say it. I don't want to hear you say it."

"Serena," Paul sighed heavily. "You're doing it again."

"What do you-"

"You just assume you know what I'm thinking before even asking me what I mean," his warm hand touched her face, angling her head to the side. She felt his lips brush against her temple. "You're my imprint. I love you. I would do anything for you. I _want _to trust you."

"But you don't."

"But I _will_."

"And that's okay?"

"Yes," he sighed. "We'll be okay, alright?"

"Alright," she agreed quietly. They stood there like that for a few minutes, arms wrapped tightly around each other, before she felt him shift, resting his cheek against the top of her head and running his fingers through her loose hair idly. She smiled. "That feels nice."

Paul chuckled softly, lower than she was used to, but continued to caress her hair. "We should talk," he said finally. But he didn't move.

"We could talk tomorrow," said Serena quietly. Paul's hands stopped moving, and she sighed and looked up at him, biting her lip cautiously. "My mom's away until the morning, and you look really tired," she reached up a hand to touch the dark circles under his eyes hesitantly, but he didn't pull away and she caressed his cheek. "You can get some sleep and we can talk later?"

"You want me to spend the night?" he sounded surprised.

Serena gave him a lopsided smile. "I'm not letting you go now, Lahote," she said teasingly, working hard to make her tone playful instead of tearful. "I just got you back."

Her acting didn't fool him, not for a second. He sighed and pulled her back into his arms, allowing her to rest her head against his chest and burst into tears. "You've got me, baby," he murmured soothingly, patting her hair and half-pulling, half-carrying her towards the sofa in the living-room. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. Serena curled up into a ball against his chest, her sobs breaking his heart and causing her to gasp for breath. "Please, Serena," he whispered, his own voice choked with emotion. "Sweetheart, you need to stop crying. It hurts, baby, please. I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

Serena didn't know how long they sat there, his desperate words in her ears as he begged her to stop crying because seeing her upset was hurting him just as much as it was hurting her, but she did stop, eventually, more so because she felt like she had no more tears left in her rather than because she felt better. But then she felt Paul kiss her tear-stained cheek and smile at her, a little sadly and a little goofily, and she managed a watery smile back.

"Maybe sleep is a good idea for both of us," he said quietly, and Serena sighed. She made to get up, but his arms tightened around her, and in a second he was standing and she was in his arms.

Serena managed to roll her eyes despite the emotional moment she had just experienced. "You're more tired than I am, you don't have to carry me."

"I know. I just don't want to let you go," he shrugged, his tone careless, but Serena bit her lip and didn't argue, merely indicated the stairs that led to the first floor where her bedroom was. Paul didn't set her down until he had opened the door, and then he deposited her on her bed, stopping only to press a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you in the morning?"

Serena shook her head, her hands fisting his shirt and stopping him from leaving. "Stay with me."

Paul's eyes were conflicted, she could see it straight away, and that hurt, but Serena tried to keep her expression calm even as she saw the indecision in his eyes. The idea of spending the night without him was enough to make her hyperventilate, however, and clearly her expression conveyed her need for him to be close.

Paul smiled and nudged her nose with his own playfully. "I hope you don't snore," he teased.

"You can kick me if I do," Serena's expression brightened, and she gave him a lingering kiss on his cheek before moving towards her dresser, fumbling through it for clothes. When she turned around, her mouth went dry.

"You're staring," Paul's dry, amused voice broke her concentration. "You sure know how to make a guy feel welcome."

Serena blushed, fighting to keep her eyes away from his delicious bare chest and the jeans that were slung oh so very low on his hips. She tucked her hair behind her ears and muttered something unintelligible before making a beeline for the door towards the bathroom, but Paul grabbed her around the waist before she made it outside, his chest vibrated with laughter. "What was that?" he asked, still chuckling.

Serena groaned. "You're embarrassing me."

"You're objectifying me."

"I'm your imprint, I can do what I want," she shot back, and then paused. Paul was watching her carefully, his expression purposefully blank, allowing her to digest the words she had just said. Serena blinked. "Wow. That was easy to say."

"It was nice to hear," agreed Paul, his tone still wary.

"Yeah," she rested her head against his chest thoughtfully, an idea suddenly popping into her head. "I _am _your imprint, right?"

His arms tightened around her. "Of course, you are."

"And that won't like, change, right? If it's me then it'll _always _be me?"

She felt him kiss her hair. "Yes, always."

"Is that why you," she cleared her throat, the blush colouring her cheek giving away the rest of her question even though he couldn't see her face. "Is that why you kept… stopping? Before?"

It took him a few seconds to figure out what she meant. "Oh," clearly, the question had caught him off-guard. "Well, I _wanted _to. You know that. I just…" he sighed, the frustration clear in his tone. "I just wanted to see how you'd deal with the imprint thing first before going any further, I guess."

"And I dealt with it horribly."

"That was my fault."

"It was my fault for running away."

"I lied to you."

"I wasn't as mad at you as I was at Leah and Emily, I shouldn't have punished you along with them."

"They hid it from you because of you, Serena, you can't blame them."

"But I can't blame you either," she looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent. "You said it was impossible for you to be mad at me, right? I can't be mad at you either. There's no point. It just…" she trailed off, hoping that her eyes conveyed everything she couldn't say, but something in Paul's expression told her _he _needed to hear her say it. "It hurts to be mad at you, because I know its hurting you. Does that make sense?"

Paul smiled lopsidedly. "I know the feeling, sweetheart."

Serena smiled back. "So, we have a solution."

"We do?"

"Yup. We just can't get mad at each other. Ever."

Paul snorted. "You're going to be mad at me tomorrow morning when I try to kiss you while you're cooking."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Fine. We can't get mad at each other for longer than a day. How's that?"

"I'll bring it down to an hour soon," he promised, his eyes glinting happily.

"Don't push your luck."

"I'll try not to," Paul grasped her chin gently and tugged her face up, giving her a soft kiss on her nose. "I missed you."

Serena arched an eyebrow and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Prove it."

Not one to be told twice, Paul tilted his head down and caught her lips in a heated kiss, an involuntary groan escaping his mouth when Serena deepened it almost immediately, pressing herself closer to him. One of his hands stayed at her waist, but the other was soon tangled in her hair, and the gentle caresses soon became sharp tugs. The action made Serena let out a quiet moan, which made her blush from how unrestrained it was. Her embarrassment was soon forgotten, however, when Paul's free, warm hand slipped into the back-pockets of her jeans. A now-familiar heat spread through her belly and pooled somewhere below her navel, causing her hips to jerk involuntarily against his. Almost immediately, she felt him pull back.

"I didn't come here for this," he whispered against her mouth, their lips only a hairsbreadth apart even as he crushed her chest against his own.

"I know," Serena fought to regain control of her breathing. "But you want to."

He didn't protest. Serena bit her lip, but her hesitation was only momentary. Her new-found confidence wasn't going to let her stop this time. She was his imprint. She could do what she wanted, and she wanted _him. _Considering his current, hazy gaze and the prominent bulge in his jeans, he felt the same way. Serena closed the distance between them again and pressed her lips to his hungrily. Paul responded immediately, picking her up off the floor and pushing her against the wall next to the door. They quickly settled into what was now Serena's favourite position, both her legs wrapped around his waist while he held her up with one hand, the other tangled in her hair. Except, this time, the other hand was under her shirt.

She didn't realize how much she had missed his touch on her bare skin until she felt him trace her ribs, and then her back. His fingers brushed against the clasp of her bra, but she didn't stop kissing him. When he made no move to take anything further, Serena pushed him away long enough to pull her tank-top over her head and toss it to the side. She leaned in for another kiss, but Paul turned his head away. She frowned.

"What?" she hissed, losing her patience now.

Paul merely leaned his forehead against hers. His eyes were closed. "Self-control," he muttered. "You shouldn't start things you don't want to finish, baby," his eyes opened, and Serena's stomach erupted with butterflies. They were dark with lust. "I won't want to stop once I start touching you."

"I don't want you to stop," she sighed. His eyes remained trained on hers, and she bit her lip, her legs sliding down his until they were both firmly standing on the ground again. Keeping her eyes on his, she gently grabbed the hand that rested against her back and drew it up. "Take it off, Paul," she murmured. His fingers slipped under the straps, but didn't move further. Serena decided to leave it at that, leaning in for another kiss, the sudden desire for him only partially quenched when she tasted him. She didn't know why he was so _afraid _of her, of being with her, but she had known Paul long enough to realize that he would do things at his own pace, and there was nothing to be gained by rushing him. So she decided to enjoy his warmth, which had been missing from her life for far too long.

Suddenly, it hit her. She had almost lost him, the only good thing in her life. She had thrown it away because she was stupid and insecure and unsure, when Paul had done nothing but prove himself time and time again to her. The memory of the past few days combined with her truly awful treatment of him made her hands shake, and she clutched at him, her breathing becoming shallow. She tore her mouth away from his and buried her face into his chest, her body trembling. He was back now, but the thought of him leaving her was painful, as if someone was cutting a hole in her chest and stuffing it full of thorns. She couldn't stop shaking, and even though she was pressed up against him, her hands clutched at his shoulders, anchoring him to her.

Clearly, he picked up on her need to be closer. "Hey, it's okay," his hands grasped her waist, helping her stay upright as he began to pepper her bare shoulder with kisses. "I promise, baby, I'm not going anywhere." Serena tried to answer, but she choked on her own words. Paul merely hummed in response. "I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair. "Don't get upset."

"I'm okay," she whispered back, but her voice was hoarse. She held him tighter. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart," he kissed her shoulder again, and Serena's heart skipped a beat when she felt the warm fingers of his free hand, the hand that wasn't stroking her hair, undo the clasp of her bra. "I'm not going away, not again."

"I know," she murmured, only half-listening to him now. She forgot to feel conscious about her body when she felt Paul's lips touch her neck, go around to her throat and then brush against her collarbones teasingly. He had never gone lower than that, and she tangled her fingers into his hair when he finally did.

"Serena," his voice was gruff and she felt his hand touch the waistband of her jeans.

"Yeah?" she breathed.

"Do you want to stop?"

"No."

"Good."


	31. Chapter 31

The first thing Serena's sleep-addled brain thought of when she woke up was that her mother must have fixed the heating, because she couldn't remember ever being this warm in the morning. Sighing quietly, she snuggled deeper into her covers, only to realize that her pillow wasn't a pillow at all, but a rising and falling human chest.

Her eyes shot open and she gasped, last night flooding to the forefront of her brain. The pounding in her chest, however, was more because of excitement than fear. Had she really…? The thought made her wince, blush and then giggle. Paul was asleep next to her, his breathing peaceful. His arm was around her waist, holding her close against his bare chest. His other arm was hanging off the side of the bed.

Serena bit her lip as she surveyed his face. She had been too upset and then ecstatic last night to _really_ look at his features, and now that she did she felt her heart break. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hands were rougher than usual. Knowing how quickly he healed, she grimaced at the thought of all the running he'd been doing, and probably all the walls he'd been punching. Sighing quietly, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I'm so sorry I did this to you," she whispered.

"You don't have to be sorry," his husky voice broke the silence, and Serena yelped in surprise. Paul chuckled, his eyes still heavy with sleep, but he grasped her waist tighter to make sure she didn't move. He nuzzled her neck. "I'm not mad at you."

"I shouldn't have left," she sighed, more out of relief than anything else when she felt him kiss her neck. "It was stupid."

"You were upset," he murmured. "And you had every right to be."

"Yeah, but if I was you I don't think I would have handled falling for my imprint any better," she shook her head and smiled when he gave her a look. She rested her forehead against his. "I'm glad you don't hate me."

Paul snorted. "It's not possible to hate you, remember?"

"That's reassuring."

"It should be," he kissed her cheek. "I'm not going anywhere, as long as you want me around."

"I'm not going to stop wanting you."

Paul's eyes twinkled. "Yeah, last night told me as much."

Serena blushed crimson, hiding her face in his chest. He laughed again, but the hand that caressed her hair was gentle. "I didn't hurt you, right?" he asked quietly, his tone going from joking to serious immediately.

"No," said Serena. She pressed a kiss to his bare chest. "You still look exhausted."

"Well, you do know how to tire a guy out," Paul waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making Serena blush harder and smack his arm.

"I'm serious," she insisted. "Have you not been sleeping?"

His smile became gentle. "Don't worry about me, okay?" he grabbed her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, holding her palm against his cheek. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Serena closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his. The kiss wasn't long, however, because the sound of a door opening and closing had her pulling away immediately, her eyes wide with fear.

"What?" asked Paul.

"My mom," she hissed. She tugged out of his grip and catapulted off the bed, her gaze flicking from the door, to her closet, to the window. "Hide in my closet."

"Huh?" Paul looked utterly confused.

"Its grocery day. I was supposed to go with her. Hide in my closet, wait until we're gone and then go outside and wait by the door so I can introduce you properly!" when he still didn't move, Serena tugged at his arm. "I mean it!"

"Okay!" Paul got out of bed and reluctantly eyed her closet. "Are you sure –"

"In!" Serena opened the doors and pushed him inside, ignoring his grunt as his head collided with the top of the frame and slammed the door quickly, throwing on a t-shirt and shorts and pulling her hair into a bun as she rushed into the bathroom. By the time she had cleaned up and made her way downstairs – trying not to draw attention to the fact that her legs were wobbly and there was a decent-sized mark on her neck – her mother was sipping a cup of tea and scanning the newspaper.

"You slept in," commented Mrs. Wilder idly as she folded the paper neatly and left it on the counter. She barely looked at Serena, which she took as a good sign. "Ready to go?"

"Sure," Serena followed her outside, her stiff posture not easing up until they were safely in the car and the house was out of sight behind them.

"You're jittery," her mother finally glanced at her, her eyebrows raised. "And you look like you actually slept."

"Yeah," Serena ran a hand through her hair awkwardly, praying she wouldn't blush. "I, uh, I talked to Paul," she said hesitantly, keeping an eye on her mother's expression. If he was going to be waiting when they got back, it would be better for her to clear him of all blame with her now. "Things are fine, now. With us, I mean."

"I didn't know there was an _us_," commented Mrs. Wilder. Serena winced, but her mother's expression was still interested and not dangerous, so she knew she had to keep speaking.

"We started dating over the summer, but I thought it was more casual than what I wanted. So I though the best thing to do would be to leave. I was wrong, he called me, we talked. I feel better now."

"You didn't want it to be casual?"

Serena bit her lip. "I really like him, mom." _I'm in love with him._

Mrs. Wilder merely hummed in response. "What's he like?"

Finally, a subject that made her smile. Serena spent the rest of the trip chatting about Paul, and she was impressed when her mother didn't cut her off even once. She even went as far as to ask a few questions here and there. While her expression was indiscernible, the fact that she let Serena talk as much as she wanted was an excellent sign.

When they were back in the car, Serena's phone buzzed with a text alert and she could have sworn she saw her mother smirk.

_P: Fully clothed and waiting for you outside. Unless you want me to hide in the shed._

_S: Outside is fine. Don't joke. Mama Wilder is a scary woman._

_P: It's not possible to scare me worse right now, trust me._

_S: I'll make it up to you, I promise. Xxx_

_P: Really? How? ;)_

_S: Perv! I meant I'll cook!_

_P: I can think of a few things I'm hungry for._

Serena turned red and quickly stuffed her phone back into her pocket, determinedly looking out the window even though she knew her mother wanted to say something. They pulled up at the house, and Serena saw, to her relief, Paul's truck parked in the driveway and his shoulder pressed against the door. His back was towards them.

"Is that him?" Mrs. Wilder didn't sound surprised at all.

"Yeah. He said he wanted to see me," Serena suddenly felt incredibly awkward. "I can tell him to leave if you –"

"Don't be silly, Sissy, the boy came all the way from La Push to see you, the least you can do is feed him and introduce him to your mother," she was out of the car and walking towards him before Serena could process what had just happened.

By the time she had joined them – nearly tripping over her own feet – Vanessa Wilder was smiling.

"You didn't tell me he was this charming," chided her mother as she beckoned them towards the house. Serena looked at her in confusion, before turning to look at Paul, and mentally rolling her eyes. He had brought flowers.

"Kiss-ass," she hissed as they trailed behind Mama Wilder into the house.

Paul winked.

Serena sat at the counter as her mother chattered on with Paul about his work, her day, and Serena's "odd mood swings" as if they were old friends. She watched in utter bewilderment as Paul claimed a seat at the table, answered all of her mother's intrusive questions with perfect politeness and even insisted on bringing in their groceries from the car, refusing to take no for an answer. Serena quickly took advantage of the few minutes he was gone and rounded on her mother.

"You like him," it wasn't a question.

Vanessa shrugged. "He's charming, isn't he? You have good taste, Sissy."

Serena blinked. "You hate every guy I date."

Her mother snorted. "Honey, when was the last time you were serious enough about a boy to let me meet him?"

Serena spluttered for a second before finally choking out an answer. "But Paul's the opposite of what you like!"

"So?" her mother raised an eyebrow, looking so much like Serena for a second that she blanched. "He's everything _you _like, isn't he? He looks at you like you're some kind of goddess: you must have been such an idiot to think he _wasn't _serious about you."

Serena opened her mouth to answer but shut it when she heard the door open and Paul entered, all their groceries balanced in his arms effortlessly. She didn't speak for the next hour, preferring to watch her mother's interaction with her boyfriend – imprint – and waiting to see when the bomb would drop. Mama Wilder and Serena had never been on the same page with regards to _anything _in Serena's life. It would be too much to hope for that her mother would approve of her boyfriend.

And yet, after Paul had helped chop the vegetables and Serena had made the pastry and Vanessa had cooked the meat and left the pies in the oven, instructing Serena on exactly when to take the out, it looked like she had approved. Without batting an eyelid, she drifted upstairs and came down dressed for work within a few minutes, her expression nonchalant.

"I have another night shift at work, Sissy," said her mother, stooping to check on the food. "Paul, you'll stay the night, won't you?"

Finally, Paul's casual demeanour cracked. Serena almost snickered as he choked on his soda. "I, well, I," he spluttered.

"He'll stay," answered Serena finally. "When will you be back?"

"Not too late, I still haven't gotten any sleep today," shrugged Vanessa. "Hopefully before breakfast. I put towels in the guest bedroom for you, Paul, Serena can tell you where everything else is if you need anything. Have a nice night, you two!" and she was gone.

Serena waited until the car was out of the driveway before rounding on Paul, her eyes wide and her expression one of utter shock.

"You charmed my mother," she said in amazement. Paul chuckled and got up from the table to stand in front of her, his hand finding hers. Serena shook her head dazedly. "I didn't even know that was _possible_."

"Your mom is really sweet," said Paul simply. "You exaggerated."

"I did not!"

"You did. And you even asked her why she liked me when I left," Paul shook his head. "You're crazy."

Serena blushed. She had forgotten he would be able to hear her conversation. "She asked you how much money you make from the garage!" she persisted. "That's not polite! You shouldn't have had to answer that!"

"She asked me because she could tell in five seconds that I want to spend the rest of my life with you," shot back Paul easily. "I don't blame her for wanting to know if I was any good at my job."

Serena froze, his statement catching her completely off-guard. "_What _did you just say?"

Paul continued to look relaxed. "I said I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Serena stared at him. "Are you serious?" she finally asked, when he made no move to elaborate.

Paul shrugged. "You're my imprint. I'm stuck with you, you're stuck with me. No point ignoring it."

Serena blinked. "So you basically just proposed to me… but you didn't, right?"

Paul rolled his eyes. "Is that really so shocking, that I want to marry you?"

"You never even told me you loved me!"

"I did, actually," his indifferent tone was beginning to annoy Serena. "I said it while we were fighting, and I said it at least four times last night."

Her cheeks turned pink at the mention of the previous night. "Well, I –"

"Don't worry, I know you were distracted," Paul grinned, the casual tone finally disappearing as he closed the distance between them and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And I'm just teasing you," he murmured against her skin. "When I propose, you'll know it."

"You said _when_, not _if_," Serena noted, slightly breathless as his lips moved down to her neck.

Paul hummed in response, his mouth brushing against the mark he had left near her collarbone last night. "That's because I love you, silly girl."

"Oh," Serena tried to clear the fog of desire that was threatening to overpower her ability to think rationally, but it was difficult. It was a few seconds before she responded, breathlessly. "I like hearing that."

Paul chuckled. "I'd like to hear it too," he kissed the hollow at the base of her throat and straightened up, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ears. "But you don't have to say it."

Serena frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Imprinting is different for me than it is for you," said Paul. He continued to play with her hair. "I love you and I want you, but you don't have to want me in the same way. I'm glad you do," he winked. "But you don't _have _to. Part of the imprint is the fact that I love you enough to be whatever you want – boyfriend, husband, best friend, anything."

Serena raised her eyebrows. "So if I said I'm never sleeping with you ever again you'd be okay with that?"

"I'd find a way to be okay with that."

She folded her arms across her chest. "I don't like your attitude."

Paul looked confused. "Huh?"

"This whole martyr thing you're trying to pull off," Serena rolled her eyes. "It doesn't suit you, Paul, I can see in your eyes that you're saying something you think is crap. I ran away from you _because _I'm in love with you. I thought you didn't love me, and that I wasn't your imprint, so I left. So instead of giving me options as to what I should label our relationship as –" she wound her arms back around his neck, her lips twitching up into a smile at the happiness shining in her eyes, happiness _she _had brought because of what she had said. "- instead of _that_, how about you kiss me and get all mushy that I just said I love you, like a _normal _couple?"

"Hmm, so normal couples _don't_ save each other from vampires and turn into animals?" asked Paul mock-seriously.

Serena rolled her eyes. "_You're _the only one in this relationship who does that."

"You love it."

"I could do without the vampires," Serena shuddered. "And I still haven't seen you as a wolf."

"You really shouldn't," said Paul, but his tone was different now. It was thoughtful, instead of firm. Serena raised her eyebrows. He grimaced. "I'm big and smelly."

"So you're exactly the same."

He growled playfully. "Don't make me angry."

"I'm not scared of you," she tossed back, her tone just as playful. There was a hint of seriousness under it all, however. Paul's constant fear of hurting her would never leave, she understood that now, but she hadn't forgotten his words yesterday. No matter how much he acted like the past few days didn't matter anymore, she knew they did. She knew his trust in her was hanging by a thread, and she wanted more. She wasn't afraid of him: she trusted him. Being afraid of him was completely out of the question. Even before she had known about the imprint, the overwhelming feel of being absolutely safe in his arms was always present. She just understood it better now.

"You should be," he wasn't playful anymore.

Serena sighed. "I _shouldn't _be. Would you ever hurt me?"

"I could by accident," said Paul. He caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, his gloomy expression shifting to one of adoration. "You don't know how scared I am of losing control with you."

"You would never do that on purpose."

He shook his head. "It doesn't have to be on purpose. You could say or do something, and I could just snap," he leaned his forehead against hers, his arms tightening around her waist. His eyes were closed. "I can't hurt you," he murmured, and Serena felt like he wasn't even talking to her now, he was talking to _himself_, trying to convince himself of something he was afraid he had no control over. "I can't."

"You won't," she whispered. Paul didn't seem to hear her, and she sighed. "Forget about the wolf thing, okay? It doesn't matter," his eyes opened at that, and she smiled. "You and me, that's all that matters right now."

"That's a nice thought," he agreed, but his eyes were hesitant. Serena understood why. She had never let something go this easily, and he was wary of her new mood. She would have to convince him it was real, but she didn't want him to think she was a pushover either.

So she grinned cheekily. "Still hungry?"

Paul blinked at the abrupt change of topic. "Yes?" It came out like a question. "But food isn't ready yet, right?"

Serena rolled her eyes. "_Not _that kind of hungry."

Paul's eyes lit up in understanding. He grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Serena had just enough time to let out a breathless laugh before she was in his arms and he was making a beeline for her room, his own chest rumbling with suppressed laughter. "I thought you said you'd find a way to be okay with it if I never wanted to sleep with you again?" she teased as he closed the door behind them and set her down on the floor.

Paul barked out a laugh. "I lied," he pulled her close and slipped his fingers until the straps of her tank-top, pushing them off her shoulders so he could kiss her bare skin. "I'd have seduced you eventually."

Serena hummed in response, her hands clamping down on his forearms as he continued to press kisses along her shoulders and up her neck. "It's not seduction if I want it too."

"Let's hope it stays that way."

"It will," her fingers trailed up his arms and into his hair, tugging his head up so she could see his face. "Love you."

His answer wasn't in words, but Serena was sure she liked it much, much better than talking.


End file.
